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THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  BRITISH  COLONIES. 


VOL.  II. 

SOUTH  AFRICA. 


GATEWAY  OF  THE  CASTLE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 


Jilorg  oj  the  Rations 


THE  STORY  OF 

SOUTH  AFRICA 

THE  CAPE  COLONY,  NATAL,  ORANGE  FREE 
STATE,   SOUTH    AFRICAN  REPUBLIC 
AND  ALL  OTHER  TERRITORIES 
SOUTH  OF  THE  ZAMBESI 


GEORGE  M.  THEAL 

OF  THE  CAPE  COLONIAL   CIVIL  SERVICE 


NEW  YORK 
G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 
LONDON  :  T.  FISHER  UNWIN 
1894 


PREFACE. 


The  chapters  in  this  volume  upon  the  Cape  Colony 
before  1848,  Natal  before  1845,  and  the  Orange  Free 
State,  South  African  Republic,  Zululand,  and  Basu- 
toland  before  1872,  contain  an  outline  of  my  History 
of  South  Africa,  which  has  been  published  in 
England  in  five  octavo  volumes.  In  that  work  my 
authorities  are  given,  so  they  need  not  be  repeated 
here.  The  remaining  chapters  have  been  written 
merely  from  general  acquaintance  with  South  African 
affairs  acquired  during  many  years'  residence  in  the 
country,  and  have  not  the  same  claim  to  be  regarded 
as  absolutely  correct,  though  I  have  endeavoured  to 
make  them  reliable.  In  preparing  the  book  I  was 
guided  by  the  principle  that  truth  should  be  told, 
regardless  of  nationalities  or  parties,  and  I  strove  to 
the  utmost  to  avoid  anything  like  favour  or  pre- 
judice. 

Geo.  M.  Theal. 

Capetown, 

September ;  1893. 


vii 


CONTENTS. 


I. 

Ancient  Inhabitants  of  South  Africa      .       .  1-7 

Hottentots — Bantu — Constant  warfare. 

n. 

Discovery  of  the  South  African  Coast  by  the 

Portuguese    .       .       .  .       .       .  8-16 

Discoveries  of  the  Portuguese — First  ships  in  Table  Bay — 
Portuguese  maps. 

III. 

Events  that  led  to  the  Occupation  of  Table 

Valley  by  the  Dutch  East  India  Company  17-24 

Rise  of  the  Dutch  Republic — The  Dutch  East  India  Com- 
pany— The  Eastern  trade  route — Wreck  of  the  Haarlem — 
Advantages  of  Table  Valley — Loss  of  life  by  scurvy — Mr. 
Van  Riebeek. 

IV. 

Formation  of  a  Refreshment  Station  in  Table 
Valley  by  the  Dutch  East  India  Com- 
pany   ........  25-31 

Trade  with  Hottentots — The  first  cattle  raid — Extension  to 
Rondebosch. 


X 


CONTENTS. 


V. 

PAGE 

Foundation  of  the  Cape  Colony    .       .       .  32-44 

Introduction  of  slaves— Introduction  of  Asiatics — The  first 
Hottentot  war — The  first  Church — Purchase  of  territory. 

VI. 

The  Second  Hottentot  War  and  its  Conse- 
quences   45-59 

Origin  of  the  cattle  farmers — Extension  of  the  settlement — 
Arrival  of  Huguenots — Form  of  government — System  of 
taxation — Exploration. 

VII. 

Progress  of  the  Cape  Colony  from  1700  to 

1750    .       ...       .       .       .       .       .  60-79 

Life  of  the  early  settlers — Wilhem  Adrian  van  der  Stel — First 
outbreak  of  small-pox — System  of  Administration — Effort  to 
improve  Table  Bay — Growth  of  the  settlement. 

VIII. 

Course  of  Events  in  the  Cape  Colony  from 

1750  to  1785  80-95 

Second  outbreak  of  small-pox — Exploration  of  Namaqua- 
land — Villages  in  the  colony — Tour  of  Governor  Van  Plet- 
tenberg — First  Kaffir  war — Arrival  of  French  troops — Com- 
plaints of  the  colonists — Agitation  in  the  colony. 

IX. 

The  End  of  the  East  India  Company's  Rule  in 

South  Africa  ......  96-112 

Reckless  expenditure — Second  Kaffir  war — Churches  in  the 


CONTENTS. 


xi 


PAGE 

colony — Affairs  in  Europe — Arrival  of  a  British  force — 
Fruitless  negotiations — Feeble  defence  of  the  colony — Re- 
view of  the  Company's  rule. 

X. 

The  First  British  Occupation     .       .       .  1 12-128 

Character  of  the  colonists — First  days  of  British  rule — Sur- 
render of  a  Dutch  fleet — Insurrection  of  Graaff-Reinet — The 
third  Kaffir  war. 

XL 

The  Colony  under  the  Batavian  Republic  129-137 

Dealings  with  Kosa  chiefs — Attack  by  the  English — Capitu- 
lation of  Capetown — Departure  of  General  Janssens. 


XII. 

Early  Years  of  English   Rule  in  South 

Africa      .  138-147 

Powers  of  the  governor — Condition  of  the  Hottentots — 
Fourth  Kaffir  war — Establishment  of  a  circuit  court — Ces- 
sion of  the  colony. 

XIII. 

The  Administration  of  Lord  Charles  Somer- 
set   .       .  '  .       .       .       .  148-161 

Slachter's  Nek  rebellion — Fifth  Kaffir  war — Arrival  of  British 
settlers — Success  of  the  British  settlers — Signs  of  progress — 
Resignation  of  the  governor. 


Xll 


CONTENTS. 


XIV. 

I'AGE 

The  Wars  and  Devastations  of  Tshaka     .  162-174 

Genius  of  Tshaka — The  Mantati  horde — Murder  of  Tshaka 
— Rise  of  the  Matabele  power — Genius  of  Moshesh — Con- 
dition of  the  tribes  in  1836. 

XV. 

Events  in  the  Cape  Colony  frOxM  1826  to 

^35  i75-!94 

Injudicious  measures — The  Kat  river  settlement — Condition 
of  the  slaves — Emancipation  of  the  slaves — Effects  of  the 
emancipation — Treaty  with  Waterboer — Sixth  Kaffir  war — 
The  province  of  Queen  Adelaide — Action  of  earl  Glenelg. 

XVI. 

Great  Emigration  from  the  Cape  Colony-  Ex- 
pulsion of  Moselekatse  from  the  Terri- 
tory South  of  the  Limpopo  .       .       .  195-203 

Fate  of  the  first  party — Attack  by  the  Matabele — The  first 
constitution — Defeat  of  the  Matabele. 

XVII. 

Destruction  of  the  Zulu  Power  and  Founda- 
tion of  the  Republic  of  Natal    .       .  204-218 

Natal  and  Zululand  in  1837— Arrangement  with  Dingan— 
Massacre  of  emigrants — Desperate  fighting — Invasion  of 
Zululand— Death  of  Pieter  Uys— Destruction  of  the  Natal 
Army — Arrival  of  Andries  Pretorius — Defeat  of  a  Zulu 
army— Revolt  of  Panda— Destruction  of  the  Zulu  power — 
Final  defeat  of  Dingan. 


CONTENTS. 


xiii 


XVIII. 

PAGE 

Seizure  of  Natal  by  British  Forces.  Creation 
of  Treaty  States  along  the  Frontier  of 
the  Cape  Colony  219-231 

Conduct  of  the  Natal  government — Siege  of  the  British 
Camp — Relief  of  the  British  Camp — Project  of  treaty  states 
— The  Griquas — Effects  of  the  treaties. 

XIX. 

Events  to  the  Close  of  the  Seventh  Kaffir 

War  232-243 

Expedition  to  aid  Adam  Kok — Arrangement  with  Adam 
Kok — Marks  of  progress — Seventh  Kaffir  war — Course  of 
the  war — Results  of  the  war. 

XX. 

Events    during    the    Administration  of  Sir 

Harry  Smith  244-257 

End  of  the  treaty  states — Battle  of  Boomplaats — Anti-con- 
vict agitation — Eighth  Kaffir  war — Settlement  of  British 
Kaffraria. 

XXI. 

Acknowledgment  by  Great  Britain  of  the  In- 
dependence of  the  South  African  Re- 
public, and  Abandonment  of  the  Orange 
River  Sovereignty  258-270 

First  Basuto  war — The  Sand  River  convention — Condition 
of  the  Basuto  tribe — Battle  of  Berea — Wise  action  of 
Moshesh — Arrival  of  Sir  George  Clerk — Abandonment  of  the 
Sovereignty — South  Africa  after  1854. 


xiv 


CO  AT  TEXTS. 


XXII. 

PAGE 

The  Constitution  of  Cape  Colony      .       .  271-276 

The  Cape  parliament — The  Dutch  language. 

XXIII. 

The  Province  of  British  Kaffraria    .       .  277-289 

Policy  of  Sir  George  Grey — Self-destruction  of  the  Kosas — 
Annexation  to  the  Cape  Colony. 

XXIV. 

The  Colony  of  Natal  and  the  Dependency  of 

Zululand  .......  290-312 

Influx  of  Bantu — The  Hlubi  tribe — Rebellion  of  Langali- 
balele — Importation  of  Indians — Mode  of  life  of  Europeans 
— Constitution  of  Natal — Cetewayo — Isandhvana — Invasion 
of  Zululand — Battle  of  Ulundi. 

XXV. 

The  Orange  Free  State  and  Basutoland    .  313-331 

Presidents  Hoffman  and  Boshof — Second  Basuto  war — Con- 
duct of  Moshesh — President  Brand  and  Moshesh — Discovery 
of  Diamonds — Orange  Free  State  and  Basutoland — President 
Brand's  visit  to  England— Basutoland. 


XXVI. 

The  South  African  Republic       .       .       .  332-352 

Lawlessness — Dr.  Livingstone — War  with  the  Baramapu- 
lana — President  Burgers —Rebellion  of  the  Bapedi — British 
rule — Struggle  for  independence — British  disasters — Rich 
goldrields — Railways. 


CONTENTS. 


XV 


XXVII. 

PAGE 

Dependencies  of  the  Cape  Colony      .       .  353-364 

Transkeian  territory — Ninth  Kaffir  war — Port  St.  John's. 
XXVIII. 

Various  Territories  not  already  Described  365-376 

British  Bechuanaland— Chartered  Company's  territory — Ger- 
man sphere  of  influence — Portuguese  possessions. 

XXIX. 

The  Present  Condition  of  the  Cape  Colony  377-387 

Exports  of  South  Africa — Missionary  labour — Courts  of  jus- 
tice—Modern  improvements —  Need  of  European  immigrants. 

Chronological  Table  of  Events  .  .  .  388 
Index    .       .  .       .       .     '  .       .  .391 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

MAP  OF  SOUTH  AFRICA,  1 893        .       .       .  Facing  I 

GATEWAY  OF  THE  CASTLE  OF  GOOD  HOPE     .  F7'01ltispiece 
SOUTH  AFRICA  AS   OCCUPIED    BY   BUSHMEN,  HOTTEN- 
TOTS, AND  BANTU  IN  1650   7 

CROSS  ERECTED  BY  DIAS  ON  PEDESTAL  POINT     .         .  9 

THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE   II 

PORTRAIT  OF  A  BUSHMAN   1 6 

TABLE  MOUNTAIN  AS  SEEN  FROM  ROBBEN  ISLAND       .  24 

PLAN  OF  THE  CASTLE  OF  GOOD  HOPE  .         .         .         .  4 1 

EXTENT  OF  THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  1700           ...  58 

SOUTH  AFRICAN  TENT  WAGGON   62 

HOUSE  ON  W.  A.  VAN  DER  STEL'S  ESTATE    ...  66 

EXTENT  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY  IN  1750        .         .         .  78 

THE  OLD  BURGHER  WATCH-HOUSE,  CAPETOWN     .         .  84 

CHURCH  OF  LAST  CENTURY  IN  CAPETOWN   .  102 

SIMONSTOWN  IN  1795   106 

SOUTH    AFRICAN   FARMHOUSE   OF  THE  BETTER  CLASS 

IN  1795  •  .114 

EXTENT  OF  TERRITORY   UNDER   EUROPEAN   RULE  IN 

1800   127 

VIEW  IN  THE  KOWIE  VALLEY,   BELOW  GRAHAMSTOWN  144 

FORT  WILLSHIRE.     BUILT,  1820  ;  ABANDONED,  1837     .  154 

A  ZULU  WARRIOR  IN  UNIFORM   1 63 

PORTRAIT  OF  DINGAN   1 68 

I  *  xvii 


Xviil  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

THABA  BOSIGO   1 72 

PORTRAIT  OF  HINTSA   190 

UMKUNGUNHLOVU   206 

SCENE  IN   PONDOLAND   226 

GRIQUA  MAN  AND  WOMEN   229 

SCENE  IN  MONTAGU  PASS        .         .         .         .         .         .  238 

PORTRAIT  OF  SIR  HARRY  SMITH   245 

EXTENT    OF  TERRITORY   UNDER   EUROPEAN   RULE  IN 

1850   256 

THE  GIANT'S  CUP,  AS  SEEN  FROM  THE  SEAWARD  SIDE 

OF  THE   DRAKENSBERG   264 

PARLIAMENT  HOUSE,  CAPETOWN     .        .                 .         .  273 

THE  GREY  HOSPITAL,  KING-WILLIAMSTOWN  .         .         .  278 

PORT  NATAL  AND  DURBAN  IN   i860        ....  298 

SCENE  IN  ZULULAND   311 

PORTRAIT  OF  PRESIDENT  BRAND   319 

COMMON  STYLE  OF  SOUTH  AFRICAN  FARMHOUSE         .  329 
COMMON  SOUTH  AFRICAN  BOULDER        .        .        .  .354 
THE  BOYS'   SCHOOL,  LOVEDALE   MISSIONARY  INSTITU- 
TION   381 

INNER  DOCK,  CAPETOWN   384 


EXPLANATION  OF  TERMS. 


Explanation  of  words  in  common  use  in  South  Africa,  but 
that  may  not  be  understood  elsewhere,  at  least  in  the  same 
sense  : — 

Assagai^  a  javelin  or  dart  used  by  the  Hottentots  and  Bantu 
in  war  and  the  chase.  The  word  is  a  corruption  of  the 
Portuguese  "  azagaya,"  which  was  derived  from  the  Latin 
"  hasta." 

Boer,  Dutch  for  a  tiller  of  the  ground.  The  word  is  applied 
in  this  country  to  cattle-breeders  as  well  as  to  agriculturists, 
and  is  frequently  used  in  the  plural  form  to  signify  the  whole 
rural  population  of  European  blood  speaking  the  Dutch  lan- 
guage. 

Burgher,  a  European  male,  no  matter  where  resident,  who 
is  in  possession  of  the  franchise  and  liable  to  all  public  duties. 
It  corresponds  to  the  civis  Romanus  of  old. 

Calabash,  the  hard  rind  of  a  gourd,  used  by  the  Bantu  for 
various  purposes,  such  as  water-pots,  jars,  dishes,  basins,  snuff- 
boxes, &c. 

Commando,  a  body  of  burghers  called  out  for  military  pur- 
poses. 

Heemraden,  burghers  appointed  by  the  government  to  act 
as  assessors  in  the  district  courts  of  justice.    A  Dutch  word. 

Induna,  an  officer  of  high  rank  under  a  Bantu  chief.  The 
word  is  Zulu. 

Kraal,  a  cattle-fold.  The  word  is  a  corruption  of  the 
Portuguese  "curral."    It  is  also  used  to  signify  a  collection  of 

xix 


XX 


EXPLANATION  OF  TERMS. 


either  Hottentot  or  Bantu  huts,  as  these  are  usually  built  in  a 
circle,  within  which  the  cattle  are  kept  at  night. 

Lager,  a.  Dutch  word  meaning  an  enclosure  for  protective 
purposes,  such  as  a  circular  wall  of  stone,  or  a  number  of 
waggons  lashed  together. 

Landdrost,  a  stipendiary  magistrate,  who  administers  justice 
and  receives  the  revenue  of  a  district.    The  word  is  Dutch. 

Tsetse,  a.  fly  whose  sting  destroys  domestic  cattle,  but  has  no 
effect  upon  wild  animals.  The  word  comes  from  one  of  the 
Bantu  dialects.  The  tsetse  disappears  from  a  district  when  the 
game  is  exterminated  or  driven  away. 

Volksraad,  a  Dutch  word  meaning  the  people's  council,  an 
elected  legislative  body. 


London:  T.  Fisher  Unwin,  Paternoster  Square.  E.C. 


THE  STORY  OF  SOUTH  AFRICA. 


i. 

ANCIENT  INHABITANTS  OF  SOUTH  AFRICA. 

THE  aborigines  of  South  Africa  were  savages 
of  a  very  low  type.  They  were  pigmies  in 
size,  yellowish-brown  in  colour,  hollow-backed,  and 
with  skins  so  loose  that  in  times  of  famine  their 
bodies  were  covered  with  wrinkles  and  flaps.  On 
their  heads  were  rows  of  little  tufts  of  wiry  hair 
hardly  larger  than  peppercorns,  and  leaving  the 
greater  portion  of  the  surface  bald.  Their  faces 
were  broad  in  a  line  with  the  eyes,  their  cheeks 
were  hollow,  and  they  had  flat  noses,  thick  lips, 
and  receding  chins.  They  anointed  their  bodies 
with  grease  when  any  was  obtainable,  and  then 
painted  themselves  with  soot  or  coloured  clay.  The 
clothing  of  the  males  was  the  skin  of  an  animal  hung 
loosely  over  the  shoulders,  and  often  cast  aside  ;  that 
of  the  females  was  little  more  than  a  small  leathern 
apron.  To  the  eye  of  a  European  no  people  in  any 
part  of  the  world  were  more  unattractive. 

2  1 


2      ANCIENT  INHABITANTS  OF  SOUTH  AFRICA. 


These  savages  were  thinly  scattered  over  every 
part  of  the  country  from  a  very  remote  period,  for 
implements — such  as  arrow-heads  and  perforated 
stones  similar  to  those  which  they  had  in  use  when 
white  men  first  met  them — have  been  found  in  posi- 
tions where  the  overlying  materials  must  have  been 
undisturbed  for  an  incalculable  time.  The  Bushmen 
— as  the  pigmies  are  termed  by  Europeans — had  no 
domestic  animal  but  the  dog,  and  they  made  no  effort 
to  cultivate  the  soil.  They  lived  by  the  chase  and 
upon  wild  plants,  honey,  locusts,  and  carrion. 

They  were  without  other  government  than  parental, 
and  even  that  was  not  respected  after  they  were  able 
to  provide  for  themselves.  So  weak  in  frame  as  to 
be  incapable  of  toil,  they  possessed  great  keenness  of 
vision  for  detecting  objects  at  a  distance,  and  marvel- 
lous fleetness  of  foot  and  power  of  endurance  in  the 
chase.  Their  weapon  of.  offence  was  a  feeble  bow, 
but  the  arrow-head  was  coated  with  poison  so  deadly 
that  the  slightest  wound  was  mortal. 

In  addition  to  the  Bushmen  there  lived  on  South 
African  soil,  from  a  period  long  anterior  to  the  arrival 
of  Europeans,  a  body  of  people  much  more  ad- 
vanced towards  civilisation,  the  people  now  known 
as  Hottentots.  Where  they  came  from,  and  how 
they  got  here,  are  questions  that  no  one  has  yet 
been  able  to  answer.  Some  have  supposed  that 
they  sprang  originally  from  a  Bushman  stock,  others 
that  the  Bushmen  were  simply  Hottentots  who 
became  degraded  by  the  loss  of  their  domestic  cattle, 
but  neither  of  these  theories  is  now  tenable.  It  has 
been  ascertained  that  their  languages  are  differently 


HOTTENTOTS. 


3 


constructed,  though  both  abound  with  clicks.  The 
Bushman  was  a  strict  monogamist,  the  Hottentot 
customs  admitted  of  polygamy.  Then  their  skull 
measurements  do  not  correspond.  The  head  of  the 
Hottentot  is  longer  and  narrower  than  that  of  the 
Bushman,  and  his  face  is  more  prognathous.  The 
lower  jaw  of  the  Bushman  is  only  surpassed  in  feeble- 
ness by  that  of  the  Australian  black,  while  that  of  the 
Hottentot,  though  far  from  massive,  is  much  better 
developed.  The  Bushman  ear  is  without  a  lobe, 
which  the  Hottentot  ear  possesses,  and  the  cranial 
capacity  of  the  Hottentot  is  higher. 

On  the  other  hand,  against  these  differences  several 
points  of  resemblance  can  be  placed.  The  colour  of 
the  skin  is  the  same,  and  the  little  balls  of  wiry  hair 
with  open  spaces  between  them  are  in  general 
common  to  both,  though  sometimes  the  head  of  a 
Hottentot  is  more  thickly  covered.  The  one  has 
small  hands  and  feet,  and  so  has  the  other.  Their 
power  of  imagination  is  similar,  and  differs  greatly 
from  that  of  other  Africans. 

All  this  seems  to  point  to  the  supposition  that  at 
a  time  now  far  in  the  past  an  intruding  body  of 
males  of  some  unknown  race  took  to  themselves 
consorts  of  Bushman  blood,  and  from  the  union 
sprang  the  Hottentot  tribes  of  Southern  Africa. 
There  are  other  reasons  for  this  conjecture,  but  they 
need  not  be  given  here. 

The  Hottentots  were  never  very  numerous,  and 
they  occupied  only  the  strip  of  land  along  the  coast 
and  the  banks  of  the  Orange  river  and  some  of  its 
tributaries.    There  was  a  constant  and  deadly  feud 


4       ANCIENT  INHABITANTS  OF  SOUTH  AFRICA. 


between  them  and  the  Bushmen.  Only  in  one 
locality — along  the  banks  of  the  lower  Vaal — are 
they  known  to  have  mixed  in  blood  with  those 
people  in  modern  times,  and  in  that  case  the  amal- 
gamation arose  from  wars  in  which  the  vanquished 
males  were  exterminated  and  the  females  were 
seized  as  spoil. 

They  lived  in  communities  under  the  government 
of  chiefs,  who,  however,  possessed  very  limited 
authority,  for  public  opinion  was  freely  expressed, 
and  was  the  supreme  law.  They  depended  mainly 
upon  the  milk  of  cows  and  ewes  for  their  subsistence, 
and  did  not  practice  agriculture  in  any  form.  Their 
horned  cattle  were  gaunt  and  bony,  and  their  sheep 
were  covered  with  hair — not  wool — and  had  fatty 
tails  of  great  weight.  Their  only  other  domestic 
animal  was  the  dog.  The  men  lived  in  almost 
perfect  indolence,  moving  with  their  herds  and  flocks 
from  one  place  to  another  as  pasture  failed  ;  and 
when  the  supply  of  milk  was  insufficient  it  fell  to 
the  lot  of  the  women  to  gather  bulbs  and  roots  with 
which  to  eke  out  an  existence.  The  huts  in  which 
they  slept  were  slender  frames  of  wood  covered  with 
mats,  and  could  be  taken  down  and  set  up  again 
almost  as  quickly  as  tents. 

These  nearly  naked  people,  living  in  idleness  and 
filthiness  indescribable,  were  yet  capable  of  improve- 
ment. During  the  last  century  a  vast  amount  of 
missionary  labour  has  been  concentrated  upon  the 
natives  of  South  Africa,  and  though  to  the  present 
day  there  is  not  a  single  instance  of  a  Bushman  of 
pure  blood  having  permanently  adopted  European 


BANTU. 


5 


habits,  the  Hottentots  have  done  so  to  a  considerable 
extent.  They  have  not  indeed  shown  a  capacity  to 
rise  to  the  highest  level  of  civilised  life,  but  they  have 
reached  a  stage  much  above  that  of  barbarism. 

Before  the  arrival  of  Europeans  yet  another  branch 
of  the  human  family  was  beginning  to  press  into 
South  Africa.  Tribes  of  stalwart  people  practising 
agriculture  and  metallurgy,  under  strict  government 
and  with  an  elaborate  system  of  law,  were  moving 
down  from  the  north,  and  by  the  middle  of  the 
seventeenth  century  had  reached  the  upper  tributaries 
of  the  Orange  river  and  the  mouth  of  the  Kei. 

These  people  formed  part  of  the  great  Bantu 
family,  which  occupies  the  whole  of  Central  Africa 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Indian  ocean.  They  were 
certainly  of  mixed  blood,  and  one  branch  of  their 
ancestors  must  have  been  of  a  very  much  higher 
type  than  the  other.  This  is  shown  in  various  ways. 
Among  them  at  the  present  day  are  individuals  with 
perfect  Asiatic  features,  born  of  parents  with  the 
negro  cast  of  countenance.  In  almost  any  little 
community  may  be  found  men  only  moderately 
brown  in  colour,  while  their  nearest  relatives  are 
deep  black.  Here  and  there  one  maybe  seen  with 
a  thick  full  beard,  though  the  great  majority  have 
almost  hairless  cheeks  and  chins.  And  a  still 
stronger  proof  of  a  mixed  ancestry  of  very  unequal 
capability  is  afforded  by  the  fact  that  most  of  these 
people  seem  unable  to  rise  to  the  European  level  of 
civilisation,  though  not  a  few  individuals  have  shown 
themselves  possessed  of  mental  power  equal  to  that 
of  white  men. 


6      ANCIENT  INHABITANTS  OF  SOUTH  AFRICA. 


These  Bantu  were  of  a  healthy  and  vigorous  stocky 
and  were  probably  the  most  prolific  people  on  the 
face  of  the  earth.  The  tribes  were  seldom  at  peace 
with  each  other,  and  great  numbers  of  individuals 
perished  yearly  through  charges  of  dealing  in 
sorcery,  but  the  losses  thus  sustained  were  made 
good  by  a  custom  which  provided  that  every  adult 
female  should  be  married.  There  was  no  limit  to 
the  number  of  wives  a  man  could  have,  and  thus  in 
a  state  of  society  where  the  females  outnumbered 
the  males,  all  were  provided  for. 

The  three  classes  of  people  referred  to  in  this 
chapter  enjoyed  the  lives  they  were  leading  quite  as 
much  as  Europeans  do,  though  their  pleasures  were 
of  a  lower  kind.  Given  freedom  from  disease  and 
a  slain  antelope,  and  there  could  be  no  merrier 
creature  than  a  Bushman.  He  was  absolutely  devoid 
of  harassing  cares.  A  Hottentot  kraal  in  the  clear 
moonlight  of  Africa,  with  men,  women,  and  children 
dancing  to  the  music  of  reeds,  was  a  scene  of  the 
highest  hilarity.  The  Bantu  woman,  tending  her 
garden  by  day,  and  preparing  food  in  the  evening 
which  she  may  not  partake  of  herself  until  her 
husband  and  his  friends  have  eaten,  is  regarded  as 
an  unhappy  drudge  by  her  European  sister.  In  her 
own  opinion  her  lot  is  far  more  enviable  than  that  of 
the  white  woman,  whom  she  regards  as  being  always 
in  a  state  of  anxiety. 

The  chief  element  of  disturbance  in  their  lives  was 
war.  The  hand  of  the  Bushman  was  always  against 
every  man,  and  every  man's  hand  was  against  him. 
The  Hottentot  tribes  were  continually  robbing  each 


CONSTANT  WARFARE. 


7 


other  of  cattle  and  women,  and  on  their  eastern 
border  were  struggling  in  vain  against  the  advanc- 
ing Bantu.  Every  Bantu  clan  was  usually  at  feud 
with  its  nearest  neighbours,  whoever  these  might  be. 
But  life  without  excitement  is  insipid  to  the  savage 


\       ■  ..... 


Wa/f/sh  Bay 


De/agoa  Bay 


S! He/ena  Bay 

fab/e  Bay 
Cape  of  Good  W° 


SOUTH  AFRICA  AS  OCCUPIED  BY  BUSHMEN,   HOTTENTOTS,  AND  BANTU  IN  1650. 

[Bushmen  were  the  only  inhabitants  of  the  parts  unmarked,  and  they  lived  also  in  all 
the  rugged  and  mountainous  sections  of  the  parts  occupied  by  Hottentots  and 
Bantu.  The  territory  in  which  the  Hottentots  roamed  with  their  cattle  is  marked 
yfr  ,  and  the  territory  occupied  by  the  Bantu 


as  well  as  to  the  civilised  man,  and  these  wars  and 
animosities,  though  sometimes  causing  great  suffering 
and  loss  of  life,  in  general  provided  just  that  excite- 
ment which  was  needed  to  prevent  the  minds  of  the 
people  from  sinking  into  complete  stagnation. 


II. 


DISCOVERY  OF  THE  SOUTH  AFRICAN  COAST  BY  THE 
PORTUGUESE. 

In  i486  two  little  vessels,  under  command  of  an 
officer  named  Bartholomew  Dias,  sailed  from  Portugal 
in  search  of  an  ocean  road  to  India.  Pushing  his 
way  down  the  western  coast,  Dias  passed  the  farthest 
point  previously  known,  and  sailing  onward  with 
the  land  always  in  sight  came  to  an  inlet  of  no  great 
depth  with  a  group  of  islets  at  its  entrance.  There 
he  cast  anchor,  and  for  the  first  time  Christian  men 
trod  the  soil  of  Africa  south  of  the  tropic. 

The  inlet  has  ever  since  borne  the  name  Angra 
Pequena,  or  Little  Bay,  which  its  discoverer  gave  to 
it.  The  surrounding  country  was  a  desolate  waste 
of  sand,  and  no  signs  of  human  life  were  seen,  nor 
was  other  refreshment  than  seabirds'  eggs  obtainable. 
Having  set  up  a  cross  as  a  mark  of  possession  for  his 
king,  the  Portuguese  commander  proceeded  on  his 
voyage.  He  tried  to  keep  the  land  in  sight,  but 
when  he  was  somewhere  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Orange  river  a  gale  from  the  north  sprang  up,  and 
for  thirteen  days  he  was  driven  helplessly  before  it. 


DISCOVERIES  OF  THE  PORTUGUESE. 


9 


As  soon  as  it  abated  the  prows  of  the  vessels  were 
turned  to  the  east,  with  a  view  of  getting  near  the 
shore  again,  but  after  sailing  a  long  time  without 
reaching  land  Dias  began  to  think  that  he  must 
either  have  passed  the  end  of  the  continent  or  have 
entered  a  great  gulf  like  that  of  Guinea. 

He  therefore  changed  the  course  to  north,  and 
after  a  while  came  in  sight  of  the  coast,  which  he 
found  trending  away  to  the  east.  The  exact  spot 
where  he  made  the  land  cannot  be  stated,  but  it  was 


CROSS  ERECTED  BY  DIAS  ON  PEDESTAL  POINT. 

{From  a  Sketch  by  H.  M.  Piers.) 


one  of  the  curves  in  the  seaboard  between  Cape 
Agulhas  and  the  Knysna.  Large  herds  of  cattle 
were  seen,  which  the  natives  drove  inland  with  haste, 
as  they  seemed  in  terror  of  the  ships.  It  was  not 
found  possible  to  open  intercourse  with  the  wild 
people. 

Sailing  again  eastward  Dias  reached  an  islet  where 
he  found  fresh  water  and  where  he  set  up  another 
cross.    It  was  the  islet  in  Algoa  Bay  which  is  still 


10  DISCOVERIES  OF  THE  PORTUGUESE. 

called  on  that  account  Santa  Cruz,  or,  as  it  is  usually 
written  in  the  French  form,  St.  Croix.  Here  the 
sailors  objected  to  proceed  farther,  and  it  was  with 
difficulty  that  they  were  induced  to  press  on  a  couple 
of  days  longer.  At  the  mouth  of  a  river — either  the 
Kowie  or  the  Fish — the  expedition  turned  homeward, 
and  on  its  way  back  discovered  a  bold  headland 
which  Dias  named  the  Cape  of  Storms,  but  which 
was  renamed  by  King  John  the  Second  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope.  As  seen  from  the  sea  this  cape  is 
much  more  conspicuous  than  Agulhas,  the  true 
southern  extremity  of  the  continent. 

Ten  years  passed  away  after  the  return  of  Dias 
to  Portugal  before  an  expedition  was  fitted  out  to 
follow  up  the  discovery  he  had  made.  Four  small 
vessels  were  then  made  ready,  and  were  placed  under 
command  of  Vasco  da  Gama,  a  man  of  proved 
ability. 

It  was  not  quite  five  years  after  Columbus  sailed 
from  Palos  to  discover  a  new  continent  in  the  west, 
when  Da  Gama's  little  fleet  put  to  sea  from  the 
Tagus.  Five  months  and  a  half  later  he  reached  a 
curve  in  the  African  coast  about  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  north  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  to 
which  he  gave  the  name  St.  Helena  Bay.  Here  he 
landed  and  by  a  little  strategy  managed  to  obtain 
an  interview  with  a  party  of  natives,  whose  friendship 
he  tried  to  secure  by  making  them  presents  of 
trinkets.  All  went  well  for  a  time,  but  at  length  a 
misunderstanding  arose,  which  resulted  in  the  Por- 
tuguese attacking  the  natives,  and  in  a  skirmish  Da 
Gama  himself  and  three  others  were  wounded  with 


12 


DISCOVERIES  OF  THE  PORTUGUESE. 


assagais.  Such  was  the  first  intercourse  between 
white  men  and  Hottentots. 

On  the  17th  of  November  1497  Da  Gama  set  sail 
from  St.  Helena  Bay,  and  three  days  later  doubled 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  in  fine  weather.  Turning 
eastward,  he  anchored  next  at  a  cape  which  he  named 
St.  Bras,  and  which  is  probably  the  same  as  the 
present  St.  Blaize.  There  he  found  a  number  of 
natives  similar  in  appearance  to  those  he  had  first 
seen,  but  who  showed  so  little  symptom  of  alarm  that 
they  crowded  on  the  beach  and  scrambled  for  any- 
thing that  was  thrown  to  them.  From  these  people 
some  sheep  were  obtained  in  barter,  but  they  would 
not  sell  any  horned  cattle. 

Keeping  within  sight  of  the  shore,  on  the  25th  of 
December  Da  Gama  passed  by  a  beautiful  land,  to 
which  he  gave  the  name  Natal,  in  memory  of  the  day 
when  Christian  men  first  saw  it. 

On  the  6th  of  January  1498  the  fleet  reached  the 
mouth  of  a  river  which  enters  the  sea  on  the  northern 
side  of  Delagoa  Bay.  Here  the  Portuguese  landed, 
and  found  a  friendly  people,  black  in  colour,  who 
brought  copper,  ivory,  and  provisions  for  sale.  During 
the  five  days  that  the  fleet  remained  at  this  place 
nothing  occurred  to  disturb  the  friendly  intercourse 
between  the  Portuguese  and  the  Bantu  residents. 

Sailing  again,  Da  Gama  next  touched  at  Sofala, 
where  he  found  people  who  had  dealings  with  Arabs, 
and  thence  he  continued  his  voyage  until  he  reached 
India. 

The  highway  to  the  East  being  now  open,  every 
year  fleets  sailed  to  and  from  Portugal.    In  a  short 


FIRST  SHIPS  IN  TABLE  BAY. 


13 


time  the  Indian  seas  fell  entirely  under  Portuguese 
dominion,  and  an  immense  trade  was  opened  up. 

In  1503  a  small  fleet,  under  command  of  an  officer 
named  Antonio  de  Saldanha,  put  into  a  bay  on  the 
African  coast  that  had  never  been  entered  before. 
On  one  side  rose  a  great  mass  of  rock,  over  three 
thousand  feet  in  height,  with  its  top  making  a  level 
line  more  than  a  mile  in  length  on  the  sky.  This 
grand  mountain  was  flanked  at  either  end  with  peaks 
less  lofty,  supported  by  buttresses  projecting  towards 
the  shore.  The  recess  was  a  capacious  valley,  down 
the  centre  of  which  flowed  a  stream  of  clear  sweet 
water.  The  valley  seemed  to  be  without  people,  but 
after  a  while  some  Hottentots  made  their  appearance, 
from  whom  a  cow  and  two  sheep  were  purchased. 

Saldanha  himself  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  great 
flat  rock,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  Table  Mountain. 
The  bay  in  which  he  anchored  was  thereafter  called 
after  him  the  watering  place  of  Saldanha,  until  nearly 
a  century  later  it  received  from  the  Dutch  sea-captain 
Joris  van  Spilbergen  its  present  name  of  Table  Bay. 

No  effort  was  made  to  explore  the  interior  of  the 
country,  and,  indeed,  setting  aside  danger  from  the 
natives,  it  would  have  been  beyond  the  power  of  any 
man  to  have  gone  far  from  the  coast  at  this  period. 
The  land  rises  in  a  series  of  steps  from  the  seashore 
to  a  great  interior  plain,  and  until  that  plain  was 
reached  the  traveller  would  have  had  everywhere  a 
rugged  and  seemingly  impassable  range  of  mountains 
before  him.  If  by  great  exertion  he  had  made  his 
way  to  the  summit  of  one,  he  would  have  found  him- 
self on  the  edge  of  a  broken  plateau,  with  another 


14  DISCOVERIES  OF  THE  PORTUGUESE. 


range — the  front  of  another  terrace — shutting  in  his 
view.  It  follows  from  this  conformation  of  the  country 
that  there  are  no  navigable  rivers.  The  streams — 
even  the  very  largest — are  all  of  the  nature  of  moun- 
tain torrents,  obstructed  with  rapids  and  falls,  and 
varying  in  volume  with  rain  and  drought.  There  is 
an  utter  absence  of  secure  natural  harbours  on  the 
coast,  except  in  positions  where  they  could  be  of  little 
service  in  the  early  days  of  exploration.  And,  in 
addition  to  all  this,  a  very  large  portion  of  the  land 
along  the  western  seaboard,  as  well  as  of  the  interior 
plains,  is  so  arid  that  it  could  only  be  traversed  by 
degrees,  as  its  slender  resources  became  known. 

In  returning  with  the  fleet  which  left  India  at  the 
close  of  1509,  Francisco  d'Almeida,  first  Portuguese 
viceroy  of  the  eastern  seas,  put  into  Table  Bay  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  water  and  refreshing  his  people. 
Some  natives  appeared  on  the  beach,  and  a  party  of 
ships'  people  went  ashore  to  barter  some  cattle  from 
them.  Traffic  was  carried  on  for  a  time  in  a  friendly 
manner,  but  at  length  a  quarrel  arose,  and  two  white 
men  were  badly  beaten.  This  caused  an  outcry  for 
vengeance,  to  which  D'Almeida  unfortunately  lent  a 
willing  ear. 

Next  morning,  1st  of  March  15 10,  the  viceroy 
landed  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  armed  with 
swords  and  lances.  They  marched  to  a  kraal  and 
seized  some  cattle,  which  they  were  driving  away 
when  the  Hottentots,  supposed  to  be  about  one 
hundred  and  seventy  in  number,  attacked  them. 
The  weapons  of  the  Portuguese  were  useless  against 
the  fleet-footed  natives,  who  poured  upon  the  invaders 


PORTUGUESE  MAPS. 


15 


a  shower  of  missiles.  A  panic  followed.  Most  fled 
towards  the  boats  as  the  only  means  of  safety  ;  a  few, 
who  were  too  proud  to  retreat  before  savages,  at- 
tempted in  vain  to  defend  themselves.  The  viceroy 
was  struck  down  with  knobbed  sticks  and  stabbed  in 
the  throat  with  an  assagai.  Sixty-five  of  the  best 
men  in  the  fleet  perished  on  that  disastrous  day,  and 
hardly  any  of  those  who  reached  the  boats  escaped 
without  wounds. 

After  this  event  the  Portuguese  avoided  South 
Africa  as  much  as  possible.  With  them  the  country 
had  the  reputation  of  being  inhabited  by  the  most 
ferocious  of  savages,  and  of  furnishing  nothing  valu- 
able for  trade.  Their  fleets  doubled  the  continent 
year  after  year,  but  seldom  touched  at  any  port  south 
of  Sofala.  They  made  a  practice  of  calling  for  re- 
freshment at  the  island  of  St.  Helena,  which  had  been 
discovered  in  1502,  and  then  pressing  on  to  Mozam- 
bique without  a  break,  whenever  it  was  possible  to 
do  so.  They  never  attempted  to  form  a  station  below 
Delagoa  Bay. 

Now  and  again,  however,  their  ships  were  driven 
by  stress  of  weather  to  seek  a  port,  and  occasionally 
a  wreck  took  place.  Curiosity  also  prompted  some 
of  them,  and  orders  from  the  king  required  others,  to 
inspect  the  coast  and  make  tracings  of  it.  The  prin- 
cipal bights  and  headlands  thus  acquired  names. 
Nearly  all  of  these  have  been  replaced  by  others, 
Dutch  or  English,  but  a  few  remain  to  our  day. 

With  the  regions  north  of  the  fifteenth  parallel  of 
latitude  the  Portuguese  were  well  acquainted.  Their 
traders  crossed  the  continent  from  Angola  to  Mozam- 


1 6  DISCOVERIES  OF  THE  PORTUGUESE. 

bique,  and  the  quantity  of  gold  which  they  exported 
from  their  factories  on  the  eastern  coast  shows  that 
they  must  have  had  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the 
territory  along  the  Zambesi.  But  of  the  interior  of 
the  country  south  of  the  tropic  they  knew  absolutely 
nothing,  and  what  they  imagined  and  laid  down  on 
their  maps  was  so  very  incorrect  that  after  the  terri- 
tory was  explored  the  whole  of  their  delineations  of 
Africa  were  regarded  as  valueless. 


PORTRAIT  OF  A  BUSHMAN. 


III. 


EVENTS  THAT  LED  TO  THE  OCCUPATION  OF  TABLE 
VALLEY  BY  THE  DUTCH  EAST  INDIA  COMPANY. 

After  a  long  interval  English,  Dutch,  and  French 
ships  followed  the  Portuguese  to  India.  Drake  and 
Candish  passed  in  sight  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
when  homeward  bound  on  their  celebrated  voyages 
round  the  world,  but  did  not  land  on  the  African 
coast.  In  July  1591  the  English  flag  was  seen  there 
for  the  first  time.  Three  ships — the  pioneers  of  the 
vast  fleets  that  have  since  followed  the  same  course — 
then  put  into  Table  Bay  on  their  way  to  India.  Their 
crews,  who  were  suffering  from  scurvy,  obtained  good 
refreshment,  as  in  addition  to  wild  fowl,  shellfish,  and 
plants  of  various  kinds,  they  bartered  some  oxen  and 
sheep  from  Hottentots.  One  of  the  ships,  commanded 
by  Captain  James  Lancaster,  reached  India  in  safety, 
another  returned  to  England  shorthanded  from  Table 
Bay,  and  the  third  went  down  in  a  gale  at  sea  some- 
where off  the  southern  coast 

In  1 60 1  the  first  fleet  fitted  out  by  the  English 
East  India  Company,  under  command  of  the  same 
Captain  James  Lancaster  mentioned  above,  put  into 

3  17 


1 8  RISE  OF  THE  DUTCH  REPUBLIC. 

Table  Bay  on  its  outward  passage.  Thereafter  for 
several  years  the  fleets  of  this  Company  made  Table 
Bay  a  port  of  call  and  refreshment,  and  their  crews 
usually  procured  in  barter  from  the  natives  as  many 
cattle  as  they  needed. 

During  the  closing  years  of  the  sixteenth  century 
the  people  who  were  destined  to  form  the  first 
European  settlement  in  South  Africa  were  engaged 
in  a  gallant  struggle  for  freedom  against  the  powerful 
Spanish  monarchy.  The  northern  Netherland  pro- 
vinces had  entered  the  sisterhood  of  nations  as  a  free 
republic  which  was  rapidly  becoming  the  foremost 
commercial  power  of  the  age.  While  the  struggle 
was  being  carried  on,  Portugal  came  under  the 
dominion  of  the  king  of  Spain,  and  the  Dutch  were 
then  excluded  from  Lisbon,  where  they  had  previously 
obtained  such  eastern  products  as  they  needed.  Some 
of  their  adventurous  merchants  then  thought  of  direct 
trade  with  India,  but  it  was  not  until  1595  that  a  fleet 
under  the  republican  flag  passed  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  It  consisted  of  four  vessels,  and  was  under 
an  officer  named  Cornelis  Houtman.  This  fleet 
touched  at  Mossel  Bay,  where  refreshment  was  pro- 
cured, the  intercourse  between  the  strangers  and  the 
natives  being  friendly. 

After  Houtman's  return  to  Europe,  several  com- 
panies were  formed  in  different  towns  of  the  Nether- 
lands, for  the  purpose  of  trading  with  the  Indies.  No 
fresh  discoveries  on  the  African  coast  were  made  by 
any  of  the  fleets  which  they  sent  out,  but  to  some  of 
the  bays  new  names  were  given.  Thus  Paul  van 
Caerden,  an  officer  in  the  service  of  the  New  Brabant 


THE  DUTCH  EAST  INDIA  COMPANY. 


19 


Company,  when  returning  to  Europe  in  1601,  gave 
their  present  names  to  Mossel,  Flesh,  and  Fish  bays, 
all  of  which  he  entered. 

The  fleets  sent  out  by  the  different  small  companies 
gained  surprising  successes  over  the  Portuguese  in 
India,  but  as  they  did  not  act  in  concert  no  perma- 
nent conquests  could  be  made.  For  this  reason,  as 
well  as  to  prevent  rivalry  and  to  conduct  the  trade  in 
a  manner  the  most  advantageous  to  the  people  of  the 
whole  republic,  the  states-general  resolved  to  unite  all 
the  weak  associations  in  one  great  company  with 
many  privileges  and  large  powers.  The  charter  was 
issued  at  the  Hague  on  the  20th  of  March  1602,  and 
gave  the  Company  power  to  make  treaties  with  Indian 
governments,  to  build  fortresses,  appoint  civil  and 
military  officers,  and  enlist  troops.  The  Company 
was  subject  to  have  its  transactions  reviewed  by 
the  states-general,  otherwise  it  had  almost  sovereign 
power.  The  subscribed  capital  was  rather  over  half  a 
million  pounds  sterling.  Offices  for  the  transaction 
of  business,  or  chambers  as  they  were  termed,  were 
established  at  Amsterdam,  Middelburg,  Delft,  Rotter- 
dam, Hoorn,  and  Enkhuizen. 

The  general  control  was  confided  to  an  assembly 
of  seventeen  directors,  whose  sessions  were  held  at 
Amsterdam  for  six  successive  years,  then  at  Middel- 
burg for  two  years,  then  at  Amsterdam  again  for  six 
years,  and  so  on. 

The  profits  made  by  the  Company  during  the  early 
years  of  its  existence  were  enormous.  The  Portuguese 
ships,  factories,  and  possessions  of  all  kinds  in  India 
were  fair  prize  of  war,  and  the  most  valuable  were 


20 


THE  EASTERN  TRADE  ROUTE. 


shortly  in  the  hands  of  the  Dutch.  Every  year  fleets 
of  richly  laden  ships  under  the  flag  of  the  Nether- 
lands passed  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  outward  and 
homeward  bound. 

In  1619  the  directors  of  the  English  East  India 
Company  proposed  to  the  assembly  of  seventeen  that 
they  should  jointly  build  a  fort  and  establish  a  place 
of  refreshment  somewhere  on  the  South  African 
coast.  This  proposal  did  not  find  favour  in  Holland, 
and  each  company  then  resolved  to  form  a  station  of 
its  own.  Instructions  were  issued  to  the  commanders 
of  the  next  outward-bound  fleets  of  both  nations  to 
examine  the  seaboard  and  report  upon  the  most  suit- 
able places  for  the  purpose.  Thus  it  happened  that 
in  1620  two  English  captains,  by  name  Fitzherbert 
and  Shillinge,  inspected  Table  Bay,  and  believing 
that  no  better  place  could  be  found,  they  proclaimed 
the  adjoining  country  under  the  sovereignty  of  King 
James.  They  did  not  leave  any  force  to  keep  posses- 
sion, however,  and  the  directors  in  London  having 
changed  their  views  with  regard  to  a  station  in  South 
Africa,  the  proclamation  of  Fitzherbert  and  Shillinge 
was  never  ratified.  English  ships  still  continued  oc- 
casionally to  call  for  the  purpose  of  taking  in  fresh 
water,  but  from  this  time  onward  the  island  of  St. 
Helena  became  their  usual  place  of  refreshment. 

The  assembly  of  seventeen  also  allowed  its  resolu- 
tion concerning  the  establishment  of  a  station  in 
South  Africa  to  fall  through  at  this  time.  Some  of 
the  advantages  of  such  a  station  were  already  in  its 
possession,  and  the  expense  of  building  a  fort  and 
maintaining  a  garrison  might  be  too  high  a  price  to 


WRECK  OF  THE  HAARLEM. 


21 


pay  for  anything  additional  that  could  be  had.  Its 
fleets  usually  put  into  Table  Bay  for  the  purpose  of 
taking  in  fresh  water,  giving  the  crews  a  run  on  land, 
catching  fish,  and  getting  the  latest  intelligence  from 
the  places  they  were  bound  to.  Letters  were  buried 
on  shore,  and  notices  of  the  places  where  they  were 
deposited  were  marked  on  conspicuous  stones. 

Table  Valley  was  also  sometimes  occupied  for 
months  together  by  parties  of  Dutch  seal  hunters 
and  whale  fishers.  Among  others,  in  161  I  Isaac  le 
Maire,  after  whom  the  straits  of  Le  Maire  arc 
named,  left  his  son  with  some  seamen  here  for  this 
purpose. 

Early  in  1648  the  Haarlem^  a  ship  belonging  to  the 
East  India  Company,  put  into  Table  Bay  for  refresh- 
ment, and  in  a  gale  was  driven  on  the  Blueberg 
beach.  The  crew  got  safely  to  land,  and  succeeded 
in  saving  their  own  effects  and  the  cargo.  When 
everything  was  secured  against  stormy  weather  they 
removed  to  Table  Valley  as  a  better  place  for  an 
encampment,  leaving  only  a  guard  with  the  stores. 
Beside  a  stream  of  fresh  water,  somewhere  near  the 
centre  of  the  present  city  of  Capetown,  they  made 
themselves  huts,  and  threw  up  an  earthen  bank  for 
shelter  around  them.  The  rainy  season  was  setting 
in,  and  as  they  happened  to  have  various  seeds  with 
them  they  made  a  garden  and  soon  had  abundance 
of  vegetables.  They  were  fortunate  also  in  being  able 
to  procure  in  barter  from  the  natives  more  meat  than 
they  needed,  so  that  their  experience  of  South  Africa 
led  them  to  believe  that  it  was  a  fruitful  and  pleasant 
land.    After  they  had  been  here  nearly  six  months  a 


22 


ADVANTAGES  OF  TABLE  VALLEY. 


fleet  returning  home  put  in,  and  took  then  on  to 
Europe. 

Upon  their  arrival  in  the  Netherlands,  Leendert 
Janssen  and  Nicholas  Proot,  two  of  the  Haarlem  s 
officers,  drew  up  and  presented  to  the  chamber  of 
Amsterdam  a  document  in  which  they  set  forth  the 
advantages  that  they  believed  the  Company  might 
derive  from  a  station  in  Table  Valley.  This  docu- 
ment was  referred  by  the  chamber  of  Amsterdam  to 
the  directors,  who,  after  calling  for  the  opinions  of 
the  other  chambers  and  finding  them  favourable,  in 
August  1650  resolved  to  form  such  a  station  as  was 
proposed.  A  committee  was  instructed  to  draw  up  a 
plan,  and  when  this  was  discussed  and  approved  of, 
three  vessels  were  made  ready  to  bring  the  men  and 
the  materials  to  South  Africa. 

The  post  of  commander  of  the  station  about  to  be 
formed  was  offered  to  Nicholas  Proot,  and  upon  his 
declining  it,  a  ship's  surgeon  named  Jan  van  Riebeek, 
who  had  been  for  some  time  in  the  Company's  service 
and  had  visited  many  countries,  was  selected  for  the 
office.  A  better  selection  could  hardly  have  been 
made.  Mr.  Van  Riebeek  was  not  a  man  of  high 
education  or  of  refined  manners,  but  he  was  indus- 
trious and  possessed  of  good  natural  ability.  He  had 
been  in  Table  Bay  with  the  fleet  in  which  the  Haar- 
lem's crew  returned  home,  and  upon  the  document 
drawn  up  by  Janssen  and  Proot  being  submitted  to 
him  for  an  opinion,  he  endorsed  all  that  was  in  it  con- 
cerning the  capabilities  of  the  country. 

Things  were  not  done  in  such  haste  in  those  days 
as  they  are  now,  and  the  year  165 1  had  nearly  come 


LOSS  OF  LIFE  BY  SCURVY. 


23 


to  an  end  before  the  three  vessels  set  sail  from  Texel. 
It  must  not  be  supposed  that  they  were  bringing 
people  to  South  Africa  with  the  intention  of  founding 
a  colony,  for  nothing  was  then  further  from  the 
thoughts  of  the  directors  of  the  East  India  Company. 
Their  object  was  merely  to  form  a  refreshment  station 
for  the  fleets  passing  to  and  from  the  eastern  seas. 

Six  months  was  considered  a  quick  passage  between 
the  ports  of  the  Netherlands  and  the  roads  of  Batavia, 
where  their  ultimate  destination  was  made  known  to 
the  skippers  by  the  governor-general  and  council  of 
India  ;  and  it  was  no  uncommon  circumstance  for 
one-third  of  the  crews  to  have  perished  and  another 
third  to  be  helpless  with  scurvy  when  the  ships 
arrived  there.  The  loss  of  life  was  appalling,  as  the 
Indiamen  were  fighting  as  well  as  trading  vessels,  and 
usually  left  Europe  with  two  or  three  hundred  men. 
The  crews  were  very  largely  composed  of  recruits 
from  Germany  and  the  maritime  states  of  Europe,  or 
the  population  of  the  Netherlands  could  not  have 
borne  such  a  tremendous  drain  of  men  for  any  length 
of  time. 

Table  Bay  was  regarded  as  two-thirds  of  the  dis- 
tance from  Amsterdam  to  Batavia,  and  the  directors 
thought  that  by  establishing  a  refreshment  station 
on  its  shores  many  lives  could  be  saved  and  much 
suffering  be  avoided.  The  design  was  first  to  make  a 
large  garden  and  raise  in  it  vegetables  for  the  supply 
of  the  fleets,  secondly  to  barter  oxen  and  sheep  from 
the  Hottentots  for  the  same  purpose,  and  thirdly  to 
build  a  great  hospital  in  which  sick  men  could  be  left 
to  recover  their  health. 


24 


MR.   VAN  RIEBEEK. 


Every  man  at  the  station  was  to  be  a  servant  of  the 
East  India  Company.  Mr.  Van  Riebeek,  who  had  the 
title  of  commander,  was  to  hold  a  position  similar  to 
that  of  a  sergeant  in  charge  of  a  small  military  out- 
post at  some  distance  from  the  head-quarters  of  a 
regiment.  Every  admiral  of  a  fleet  that  called  was  to 
supersede  him  for  the  time  being,  and  he  had  hardly 
any  discretionary  power  even  when  no  superior  officer 
was  present. 


TABLE  MOUNTAIN  AS  SEEN  FROM  ROBBEN  ISLAND. 


IV. 


FORMATION  OF  A  REFRESHMENT  STATION  IN 
TABLE  VALLEY  BY  THE  DUTCH  EAST  INDIA 
COMPANY. 

In  April  1652  Mr.  Van  Riebeek  and  his  people 
arrived,  and  at  once  set  about  the  construction  of  a 
fort  by  raising  banks  of  earth  round  a  hollow  square, 
within  which  they  erected  some  wooden  sheds  brought 
from  Holland.  The  rainy  season  at  and  near  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  usually  commences  in  the  month 
of  April,  but  this  year  the  summer  drought  lasted 
until  towards  the  close  of  May,  and  consequently 
there  was  a  good  deal  of  suffering  among  the  people. 
Scurvy  was  showing  itself  and  no  sorrel  or  wild  plants 
of  any  kind  could  be  found,  nor  could  a  garden  be 
made. 

The  only  permanent  inhabitants  of  the  Cape  pen- 
insula when  the  Dutch  landed  were  some  sixty 
Hottentots,  who  were  without  cattle,  and  who  lived 
chiefly  upon  shell-fish.  Where  as  many  thousands 
now  exist  in  comfort,  these  wretched  beachrangers — 
as  Mr.  Van  Riebeek  styled  them — were  barely  able 
to  exist  at  all.    The  chief  man  among  them  was 


26     REFRESHMENT  STATION  IN  TABLE  VALLEY, 


named  Harry  by  the  white  people.  He  had  once 
been  taken  to  Bantam  in  an  English  ship,  and  he 
spoke  a  little  broken  English,  so  Mr.  Van  Riebeek 
employed  him  as  an  interpreter.  The  others  made 
themselves  useful  by  carrying  water  and  gathering 
firewood,  in  return  for  which  they  were  provided  with 
ships'  provisions. 

Two  large  clans  of  Hottentots,  consisting  together 
of  about  five  thousand  souls,  roamed  over  the  country 
within  a  radius  of  fifty  miles  from  Table  Bay,  but 
they  were  then  far  from  the  peninsula,  and  very 
little  could  be  ascertained  concerning  them. 

When  the  winter  rains  at  last  set  in,  much  dis- 
comfort was  the  immediate  result.  The  tents  and 
wooden  buildings  were  all  found  to  be  leaky.  With 
the  change  of  weather  came  dysentery,  which  the 
people  were  too  weak  to  resist,  and  now  almost  every 
day  there  was  a  death  from  that  disease  or  from 
scurvy.  By  the  beginning  of  June  the  party  was 
reduced  to  one  hundred  and  sixteen  men  and  five 
women,  of  whom  only  sixty  men  were  able  to  per- 
form any  labour.  Fresh  meat  and  vegetables  and 
proper  shelter  would  have  saved  them,  but  these 
things  were  not  to  be  had.  They  were  almost  as 
solitary  as  if  they  had  been  frozen  up  in  the  Arctic 
sea.  The  two  largest  of  the  vessels  had  gone  on  to 
Batavia,  leaving  the  other — a  mere  decked  boat — at 
Mr.  Van  Riebeek's  disposal,  and  for  many  weeks  no 
natives  were  seen  except  Harry's  miserable  followers, 
from  whom  no  assistance  of  any  kind  was  to  be 
obtained. 

But  the  rain,  which  had  brought  on  the  dysentery, 


TRADE  WITH  HOTTENTOTS. 


27 


in  a  very  short  time  brought  also  relief.  Grass  sprang 
into  existence,  and  with  it  appeared  various  edible 
plants.  They  were  all  correctives  of  scurvy,  and  that 
was  mainly  what  was  needed.  The  strong  and  the 
feeble  went  about  gathering  wild  herbs  and  roots  and 
declaring  there  was  nothing  in  the  world  half  so 
palatable.  As  soon  as  the  first  showers  fell,  a  plot  of 
ground  was  dug  over,  in  which  seeds  were  planted  ; 
and  soon  the  sick  were  enjoying  such  delicacies  as 
radishes,  lettuce,  and  cress.  Then  they  found  good 
reeds  for  thatch,  and  when  the  buildings  were  covered 
with  these  instead  of  boards  and  torn  sails,  they  could 
almost  bid  defiance  to  the  rains. 

The  pleasant  weather  which  in  South  Africa  is 
termed  the  winter  passed  away,  and  in  October  a 
large  Hottentot  clan — called  by  the  Dutch  the  Kaap- 
mans — made  its  appearance  in  the  Cape  peninsula 
with  great  herds  of  horned  cattle  and  flocks  of  sheep, 
which  were  brought  there  for  change  of  pasture. 
These  people  and  the  Europeans  met  openly  on  the 
most  friendly  terms,  though  each  party  was  so  sus- 
picious of  the  other  that  a  constant  watch  was  kept. 
A  supply  of  copper  bars,  brass  wire,  and  tobacco  had 
been  brought  from  the  Netherlands,  and  a  trade  in 
cattle  was  now  opened.  On  the  European  side  the 
commander  conducted  it  in  person,  assisted  only  by 
a  clerk  and  the  interpreter  Harry.  All  intercourse 
between  other  white  men  and  these  Hottentots  was 
forbidden  under  very  severe  penalties,  with  the  two- 
fold object  of  preventing  any  interference  with  the 
trade  and  any  act  that  might  lightly  provoke  a 
quarrel. 


28     REFRESHMENT  STATION  IN  TABLE  VALLEY. 


Parties  of  the  Kaapmans  remained  in  the  Cape 
peninsula  nearly  three  months,  during  which  time 
Mr.  Van  Riebeek  procured  in  barter  over  two  hundred 
head  of  horned  cattle  and  nearly  six  hundred  sheep. 
Before  they  left,  they  proposed  that  the  commander 
should  help  them  against  a  tribe  with  whom  they 
were  at  war,  and  offered  him  the  whole  of  the  spoil 
whatever  it  might  be.  Mr.  Van  Riebeek  replied 
that  he  had  come  to  trade  in  friendship  with  all,  and 
he  declined  to  take  any  part  in  their  quarrels. 

By  the  end  of  the  first  year's  residence  of  the 
Europeans  in  Table  Valley  the  station  had  made  very 
satisfactory  progress.  A  large  garden  had  been 
planted,  and  the  stream  that  ran  down  from  the 
mountain  had  been  dammed  up  in  several  places,  so 
that  the  whole  of  the  cultivated  ground — several 
acres  in  extent — could  be  irrigated.  A  plain  hospital 
had  been  built  of  earthen  walls  and  thatch  roof,  large 
enough  to  accommodate  two  or  three  hundred  men. 
And  another  clan  had  visited  the  peninsula,  with 
whom  a  cattle  trade  had  been  opened,  so  that  there 
was  plenty  of  fresh  meat  for  the  crews  of  all  the  ships 
that  put  into  the  bay. 

The  second  winter  was  uneventful.  Some  building 
was  carried  on,  oxen  were  trained  to  draw  timber 
from  the  forests  behind  the  Devil's  peak,  and  much 
new  ground  was  broken  up.  Wild  animals  gave  more 
trouble  than  anything  else.  The  lions  were  so  bold 
that  they  invaded  the  cattle  pens  by  night,  though 
armed  men  were  always  watching  them,  and  leopards 
came  down  from  the  mountain  in  broad  daylight  and 
carried  away  sheep  under  the  very  eyes  of  the  herds- 


THE  FIRST  CATTLE  RAID. 


29 


men.  One  morning  before  daybreak  there  was  a 
great  noise  in  the  poultry  pens,  and  when  the  guards 
went  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  they  found  that  all 
the  ducks  and  geese  had  been  killed  by  wild  cats. 
The  country  appeared  to  be  swarming  with  ravenous 
beasts  of  different  kinds. 

A  good  look-out  was  kept  over  the  sea,  for  the 
Netherlands  and  the  Commonwealth  of  England  were 
at  war,  and  it  was  necessary  to  guard  against  being 
surprised  by  an  English  ship. 

The  Europeans  had  been  living  in  Table  Valley 
about  eighteen  months  when  the  first  difficulty  with 
the  natives  occurred.  One  Sunday  while  they  were 
listening  to  a  sermon  Harry  and  his  people  murdered 
a  white  boy  who  was  tending  the  cattle,  and  ran  away 
with  nearly  the  whole  herd.  As  soon  as  the  event 
became  known  pursuing  parties  were  sent  out,  but 
though  the  robbers  were  followed  to  the  head  of 
False  Bay,  only  one  cow  that  lagged  behind  was 
recovered.  This  occurrence  naturally  produced  an 
ill-feeling  towards  the  Hottentots  on  the  part  of  the 
European  soldiers  and  workmen.  One  of  their  com- 
panions had  been  murdered,  and  his  blood  was 
unavenged.  The  loss  of  their  working  oxen  im- 
posed heavy  toil  upon  them.  The  fort  was  being 
strengthened  with  palisades  cut  in  the  forests  behind 
the  Devil's  peak,  and  these  had  now  to  be  carried  on 
the  shoulders  of  men.  Then  for  some  time  after  the 
robbery  the  pastoral  clans  kept  at  a  distance,  so  that 
no  cattle  were  to  be  had  in  barter  ;  and  the  want  of 
fresh  meat  caused  much  grumbling. 

The  directors  had  given  the  most  emphatic  orders 


30     REFRESHMENT  STATION  IN  TABLE  VALLEY. 


that  the  natives  were  to  be  treated  with  all  possible 
kindness,  and  so,  after  a  few  months,  when  the  run- 
aways began  to  return  to  Table  Valley,  each  one 
protesting  his  own  innocence,  no  punishment  was 
inflicted  upon  them  for  their  bad  conduct,  but  they 
were  allowed  to  resume  their  former  manner  of  living 
by  collecting  firewood  and  doing  any  little  service  of 
that  nature. 

As  everything  was  now  in  good  working  order  at 
the  station,  Mr.  Van  Riebeek  began  to  send  out 
small  exploring  parties,  not  so  much  to  learn  the 
physical  condition  of  the  country,  however,  as  to 
make  the  acquaintance  of  Hottentot  clans  who  could 
be  induced  to  bring  cattle  to  the  fort  for  barter.  This 
object  was  attained  without  crossing  the  nearest  range 
of  mountains,  and  therefore  no  one  tried  to  go  beyond 
that  formidable  barrier.  During  the  next  few  years 
names  were  given  to  the  various  hills  scattered  over 
the  western  coast  belt  as  far  north  as  the  mouth  of 
the  Elephant  river,  the  Berg  river  was  inspected  from 
its  source  to  its  mouth,  and  acquaintance  was  made 
with  several  Hottentot  tribes  ;  but  there  was  little  or 
no  advance  in  the  knowledge  of  South  African  geo- 
graphy. 

By  this  time  nearly  every  garden  plant  of  Europe 
and  India  was  cultivated  at  the  Cape,  though  potatoes 
and  maize  were  not  yet  introduced.  Oaks  and  firs, 
fruit  trees  of  many  kinds,  several  varieties  of  vines 
from  Southern  Germany  and  from  France,  and  straw- 
berries and  blackberries  were  thriving.  The  foreign 
animals  that  had  been  introduced  were  horses  from  Java, 
and  pigs,  sheep,  dogs,  rabbits,  and  poultry  from  Europe. 


EXTENSION  TO  RONDEBOSCH. 


31 


Every  season  wheat  and  barley  had  been  sown,  but 
the  crop  had  always  failed.  Just  as  it  was  getting 
ripe  the  south-east  wind  came  sweeping  through  Table 
Valley,  and  destroyed  it.  But  it  was  noticed  that 
even  when  it  was  blowing  a  perfect  gale  at  the  fort, 
nothing  more  than  a  pleasant  breeze  was  felt  back  of 
the  Devil's  peak.  The  commander  therefore  tried  if 
grain  could  not  be  raised  in  that  locality.  At  a  place 
where  a  round  grove  of  thorn  trees  was  standing, 
from  which  it  received  the  name  Rondebosch,  a  plot 
of  ground  was  laid  under  the  plough,  and  some  wheat, 
oats,  and  barley  were  sown.  The  experiment  was 
successful,  for  the  grain  throve  wonderfully  well,  and 
yielded  a  large  return. 

The  Cape  establishment  was  thus  answering  its 
purpose  admirably,  but  the  expense  attending  it  was 
found  to  be  greater  than  the  directors  of  the  East 
India  Company  had  anticipated,  so  they  cast  about 
for  some  means  of  reducing  its  cost.  After  much  dis- 
cussion they  resolved  to  locate  a  few  burgher  families 
on  plots  of  ground  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  fort, 
and  instructed  Mr.  Van  Riebeek  to  carry  this  design 
into  execution.  They  were  of  opinion  that  the  men, 
though  not  in  their  service,  would  assist  in  the  defence 
of  the  station,  so  that  the  garrison  could  be  reduced, 
and  that  from  such  persons  vegetables,  grain,  fruit, 
pigs,  poultry,  &c,  could  be  purchased  as  cheaply  as 
the  Company  could  produce  them  with  hired  servants. 
The  plan  was  to  select  a  few  respectable  married  men 
from  the  workpeople,  to  send  their  wives  and  children 
out  to  them,  and  to  give  them  a  start  as  market 
gardeners  or  small  farmers. 


V. 


FOUNDATION  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 

In  February  1657  mne  °f  the  Company's  servants 
took  their  discharge,  and  had  small  plots  of  ground 
allotted  to  them  along  the  Liesbeek  river  at  Ronde^ 
bosch.  They  were  the  first  South  African  colonists 
in  the  true  sense  of  the  word.  They  were  provided 
on  credit  with  everything  that  was  necessary  to  give 
them  a  fair  start  as  agriculturists,  and  in  return  they 
bound  themselves  to  deliver  the  produce  of  their 
ground  at  the  fort  at  reasonable  prices  until  the  debt 
was  cleared  off. 

Within  a  few  months  thirty-eight  others  took  their 
discharge  on  the  same  conditions.  But  it  soon  ap- 
peared that  many  of  these  men  were  not  adapted 
for  the  life  of  independent  gardeners,  and  it  became 
necessary  to  take  them  back  into  the  Company's 
service,  when  the  ground  that  they  had  occupied  was 
given  to  others  on  trial.  In  this  manner  a  selection 
was  constantly  being  made,  in  which  only  the  steady 
and  industrious  remained  as  permanent  colonists. 
There  was  a  rule  that  only  married  men  of  Dutch 
or  German  birth  should  have  land  assigned  to  them, 

32 


INTRODUCTION  OF  SLAVES. 


33 


but  it  was  not  strictly  observed,  and  single  men  who 
were  mechanics  or  who  would  take  service  with 
gardeners  were  frequently  discharged  by  the  Com- 
pany. As  soon  as  a  man  proved  himself  able  to 
make  a  competent  living,  he  had  only  to  apply  for 
his  wife  and  children  to  be  sent  out  from  Europe, 
and  with  the  next  fleet  they  were  forwarded  to  him. 
The  descendants  of  many  of  those  who  at  this  time 
became  colonists  are  now  scattered  over  South  Africa 
from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  the  Zambesi  and 
Benguela. 

In  this  manner  the  colonisation  of  South  Africa 
was  commenced,  but  as  yet  there  was  no  intention 
of  forming  a  European  settlement  of  any  great  extent. 
A  few  gardeners,  fruit  growers,  and  poultry  breeders 
within  four  or  five  miles  of  the  fort  comprised  the 
whole  scheme  which  the  East  India  Company  had 
in  view.  These  people  were  to  pay  tithes  of  any 
grain  they  might  produce  after  twelve  years'  occupation, 
but  were  otherwise  to  be  left  untaxed.  It  was  still 
supposed  that  as  many  cattle  as  were  needed  could 
be  obtained  from  the  Hottentots. 

In  1658  the  great  mistake  of  introducing  negro 
slaves  was  made,  a  mistake  from  which  the  country 
has  suffered  much  in  the  past  and  must  suffer  for  all 
time  to  come.  There  was  no  necessity  for  the  intro- 
duction of  these  people.  The  climate  for  nine  months 
in  the  year  is  to  Europeans  the  pleasantest  in  the 
world,  and  even  during  the  other  three — excepting 
from  twenty  to  thirty  excessively  hot  days — white 
men  can  labour  in  the  open  air  without  discomfort. 
The  settlement  could  have  been  purely  European. 

4 


34 


FOUNDATION  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 


But  in  the  seventeenth  century  it  was  the  custom 
of  all  colonising  nations  to  make  of  the  negro  a  hewer 
of  wood  and  drawer  of  water,  and  the  Dutch  merely 
acted  in  the  spirit  of  the  age. 

From  a  Portuguese  slave  ship  captured  at  sea  the 
first  negroes  brought  to  the  Cape  settlement  were 
taken,  and  shortly  afterwards  a  number  arrived  from 
the  coast  of  Guinea  in  one  of  the  Company's  vessels. 
Some  of  them  were  sold  on  credit  to  the  burghers, 
but  the  greater  number  were  kept  by  the  government 
to  do  whatever  rough  labour  was  needed.  This  fixed 
the  character  of  the  colony,  for  the  system  once 
entered  upon  could  only  with  great  difficulty  be 
altered.  The  white  man  and  the  black  cannot  work 
side  by  side  on  equal  terms,  hence  manual  labour 
came  to  be  regarded  by  the  Europeans  as  degrading, 
a  sentiment  that  has  not  died  out  at  the  present 
day. 

The  Dutch  laws  at  that  time  made  manumission 
extremely  easy,  and  freed  negroes  had  all  the  rights 
of  colonists,  though  they  were  without  the  hereditary 
training  necessary  to  enable  them  to  make  proper 
use  of  their  privileges.  As  soon,  however,  as  it  was 
ascertained  by  experience  that  they  were  too  indolent 
and  thriftless  to  put  by  anything  for  sickness  or  old 
age,  when  they  became  a  burden  upon  the  community, 
a  law  was  made  that  any  one  emancipating  a  slave 
under  ordinary  circumstances  must  not  only  give 
security  that  he  or  she  would  not  become  a  depen- 
dent upon  the  poor  funds  within  a  certain  number 
of  years,  but  also  pay  a  sum  of  money  into  the  poor 
funds  as  a  premium  on  the  risk  of  his  or  her  requiring 


INTRODUCTION  OF  ASIATICS. 


35 


aid  after  that  period.  This  checked  manumission 
considerably,  still  as  many  slaves  were  emancipated 
by  the  testaments  of  their  owners,  and  others  obtained 
their  liberty  under  special  circumstances,  the  free 
negroes  would  have  become  a  large  body  in  course 
of  time  if  they  had  not  been  swept  away  by  imported 
diseases,  to  which  their  habits  of  living  made  them 
an  easy  prey. 

Besides  negroes,  the  East  India  Company  at  this 
time  began  to  introduce  Asiatics — chiefly  natives  of 
Malacca,  Java,  and  the  Spice  islands — into  the  settle- 
ment. These  persons  were  criminals  sentenced  by 
the  high  court  of  justice  at  Batavia  to  slavery  either 
for  life  or  for  a  term  of  years,  and  were  then  sent  to 
South  Africa  to  undergo  their  punishment.  In  in- 
telligence they  Were  far  above  the  natives  of  Guinea 
or  Mozambique,  many  of  them  being  able  to  work 
as  masons,  harness  makers,  coopers,  and  tailors.  They 
all  professed  the  Moslem  religion.  Being  without 
women  of  their  own  nationality,  they  formed  con- 
nections with  African  slave  girls,  and  thus  arose  one 
of  the  many  classes  of  mixed  breeds  in  the  country. 

At  a  little  later  date  the  Company  made  of  South 
Africa  a  place  of  banishment  for  Indian  political 
prisoners  of  high  rank,  who  were  often  accompanied 
by  their  families  and  numerous  attendants,  male  and 
female.  These  people  had  fixed  allowances  from  the 
government  for  their  support.  Sometimes  families 
of  their  dependents  became  attached  to  the  country, 
and  preferred  to  remain  here  when  the  time  came  for 
their  return  to  Java  if  they  had  chosen  to  go  back. 
A   race  of  pure   Asiatics   thus   arose,  never  very 


36 


FOUNDATION  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 


numerous,  though  for  more  than  a  century  political 
offenders  continued  to  be  sent  from  Batavia  to  Cape- 
town. The  last  were  some  natives  of  high  rank  in 
the  islands  of  Tidor  and  Ternate,  who  made  their 
escape  from  this  country  in  1781. 

One  of  these  exiles  was  the  Sheikh  Joseph,  who 
took  a  leading  part  in  the  Bantamese  civil  war  of 
1682,  and  who  was  a  determined  opponent  of  the 
Dutch.  He  was  a  man  of  great  repute  for  sanctity, 
and  was  believed  by  his  Moslem  followers  to  have 
performed  some  extraordinary  miracles.  He  died 
near  the  head  of  False  Bay,  and  his  tomb  there  is 
still  a  place  of  pilgrimage  for  Mohamedans  in  South 
Africa. 

Thus  early  in  the  history  of  the  Cape  Colony  three 
varieties  of  human  beings  were  introduced :  Euro- 
peans, negroes,  and  Javanese.  The  aboriginal 
Hottentots  formed  a  fourth  variety.  As  years 
passed  away  mixed  breeds  of  every  colour  between 
these  four  extremes  were  to  be  seen,  side  by  side 
with  the  pure  races,  so  that  nowhere  else  could  such 
a  diversity  of  hue  and  of  features  be  found  as  in  the 
Cape  peninsula.  The  crosses  between  Europeans 
and  the  lower  races  did  not  increase  in  number  as 
rapidly  as  pure  breeds,  however,  owing  to  a  lack  of 
high  fertility  among  themselves,  and  unless  connected 
again  with  one  of  their  ancestral  stocks,  they  often 
died  out  altogether  in  the  third  generation.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  the  half-breed  Asiatics  and 
negroes,  but  the  cross  between  the  others  was  more 
fertile. 

The  pastoral   Hottentot  clans   looked   upon  the 


THE  FIRST  HOTTENTOT  WAR. 


37 


European  settlement  along  the  Liesbeek  with  a 
good  deal  of  jealousy.  It  was  not  alone  the  ground 
under  cultivation  that  was  lost  to  them,  for  the 
government  had  given  the  burghers  a  free  right  of 
pasture,  and  thus  the  ancient  owners  were  excluded 
from  the  best  patches  of  grass  along  the  base  of  the 
mountain.  Early  in  1659  the  two  clans  that  had 
always  been  accustomed  to  visit  the  Cape  peninsula 
in  the  summer  season  with  their  flocks  and  herds 
appeared  there  as  usual,  and  were  informed  that  they 
must  keep  away  from  the  grass  that  the  Company 
and  the  burghers  needed.  This  announcement  was 
not  at  all  to  their  liking.  They  had  ample  pasture 
left  in  the  peninsula  for  ten  times  the  number  of  cattle 
in  their  possession,  and  all  the  country  stretching 
away  beyond  the  isthmus  as  far  as  could  be  seen  was 
theirs  to  roam  over ;  but  they  were  like  other  people, 
they  did  not  relish  being  deprived  by  force  of  any- 
thing that  they  regarded  as  their  own. 

So  they  commenced  to  drive  off  the  burghers'  cows, 
and  murdered  a  white  herdsman.  The  beachrangers 
in  Table  Valley,  though  they  were  certainly  gainers 
by  the  presence  of  the  Europeans,  and  though  they 
had  a  long-standing  feud  with  the  pastoral  clans,  now 
joined  their  countrymen.  In  this  manner  what  the 
colonists  termed  the  first  Hottentot  war  began. 

In  fact,  however,  it  could  hardly  be  termed  a  war, 
for  the  natives  were  careful  to  avoid  a  pitched  battle, 
and  the  Europeans  were  unable  to  surprise  any  large 
body  of  them.  On  two  occasions  only  were  small 
parties  met,  when  six  or  seven  were  killed  and  a  few 
more   were   wounded.     The    pastoral    clans  then 


38  FOUNDATION  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 


abandoned  the  peninsula,  and  the  beachrangers, 
upon  begging  for  peace,  were  allowed  to  return  to 
Table  Valley. 

A  strong  fence,  through  which  cattle  could  not  be 
driven,  was  now  made  along  the  outer  boundary  of 
the  settlement,  three  watchhouses  were  built  to  defend 
it,  and  in  these  were  stationed  companies  of  horse- 
men, whose  duty  it  was  to  patrol  the  border.  Some 
powerful  dogs  were  imported  from  Java,  and  the 
Europeans  then  considered  themselves  secure. 

The  Hottentots  were  the  first  to  make  overtures 
for  a  restoration  of  friendship.  About  a  twelvemonth 
after  the  first  breach  of  the  peace  they  sent  messengers 
to  the  fort  to  propose  a  reconciliation,  and  as  these 
were  well  received  the  chiefs  followed,  when  terms 
were  agreed  to.  These  were  that  neither  party  was 
thereafter  to  molest  the  other,  that  the  lately  hostile 
clans  were  to  endeavour  to  induce  those  living  farther 
inland  to  bring  cattle  to  the  fort  for  sale,  that  the 
Europeans  were  to  retain  possession  of  the  land 
occupied  by  them,  that  roads  were  to  be  pointed  out 
along  which  the  Hottentots  could  come  to  the  fort, 
and  that  any  European  who  molested  a  Hottentot 
should  be  severely  punished. 

After  the  conclusion  of  peace  the  cattle  trade  went 
on  briskly.  Bartering  parties  were  sometimes  sent 
out,  but  Hottentots  often  came  from  a  distance  of 
eighty  or  a  hundred  miles  with  troops  of  oxen  and 
flocks  of  sheep  for  sale.  They  were  very  eager  to 
obtain  bright  coloured  beads  and  other  trifles.  The 
quantity  of  beads  given  for  an  ox  cost  only  from  eight 
to  ten  pence,  but  there  were  other  and  larger  expenses 


THE  FIRST  CHURCH. 


39 


connected  with  the  trade.  Presents,  consisting  of  flat 
pieces  of  copper,  wire,  iron  rods,  axes,  tobacco,  pipes, 
and  other  articles,  were  frequently  made  to  the  chiefs 
to  secure  their  friendship,  and  all  who  came  to  the 
fort  were  liberally  entertained.  The  burghers  were 
strictly  prohibited  from  holding  intercourse  of  any 
kind  with  other  Hottentots  than  the  beachrangers, 
but  in  defiance  of  the  law  some  of  them  found  means 
to  carry  on  a  petty  cattle  trade. 

After  ten  years'  service  in  South  Africa  Mr.  Van 
Riebeek  was  sent  on  to  India,  where  he  received 
promotion,  and  Mr.  Zacharias  Wagenaar  took  his 
place  at  the  Cape.  During  this  commander's  term 
of  office — which  extended  over  four  years — a  few 
events  occurred  that  are  worthy  of  notice. 

In  earlier  years  a  catechist,  who  was  also  a  school- 
master, held  services  on  Sundays,  and  the  chaplains 
of  ships  that  called  administered  the  sacraments. 
But  now  the  settlement  was  provided  with  a  resident 
clergyman.  From  this  time  onward  there  was  a  fully 
organised  church,  subject  to  the  spiritual  control  of 
the  classis  or  presbytery  of  Amsterdam. 

In  1664  the  island  of  Mauritius  was  taken  into 
possession  by  the  Dutch  East  India  Company  to 
keep  it  from  falling  into  other  hands,  and  it  was 
made  a  dependency  of  the  Cape  station.  A  few 
men  were  sent  there  to  cut  ebony  logs,  and  once  a 
year  a  packet  took  supplies  to  them  from  Table  Bay 
and  brought  back  a  cargo  of  timber. 

Owing  to  the  threatening  attitude  of  England, 
the  directors  resolved  to  build  a  strong  fortress  in 
Table  Valley,  as  the  walls   of  earth,  which  were 


40  FOUNDATION  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 


considered  ample  protection  against  Hottentots, 
would  be  a  poor  defence  if  a  British  force  should 
land.  The  castle  of  Good  Hope,  which  is  still 
standing,  was  commenced  in  1666,  and  was  completed 
in  1674.  It  is  now  useless  for  military  purposes,  but 
for  some  time  after  its  construction  it  was  considered 
almost  impregnable.  The  directors,  who  were  be- 
ginning to  realise  that  the  French  and  the  English 
might  prove  formidable  rivals  in  the  eastern  seas, 
had  come  to  regard  their  station  in  the  Cape 
peninsula  as  a  strategic  point  of  great  importance. 
"  The  castle  of  Good  Hope,"  they  wrote,  "  is  the 
frontier  fortress  of  India,"  and  as  such  they  provided 
it  with  a  strong  garrison. 

Commander  Wagenaar's  successors  for  some  time 
were  men  of  very  little  note,  and  nothing  of  much  con- 
sequence occurred  to  disturb  the  quiet  course  of  life 
in  the  settlement.  All  was  bustle  and  activity  when 
the  outward  or  homeward  bound  Indian  fleets  were  in 
the  bay,  but  after  their  anchors  were  raised  there  was 
nothing  to  create  excitement.  The  workmen  engaged 
in  building  the  castle  and  the  garrison  when  it  was 
completed  increased  the  demand  for  food,  so  that 
more  servants  of  the  Company  took  their  discharge 
and  set  up  for  themselves  as  market  gardeners.  Soon 
the  best  plots  of  land  within  the  boundary  fence  were 
all  taken  up,  and  then  the  fence  was  disregarded 
and  the  settlement  spread  out  to  the  present  village 
of  Wynberg.  The  proportion  of  men  who  took  their 
discharge  and  succeeded  in  making  a  living  on  their 
own  account  was,  however,  always  very  small.  It 
was  probably  not  ten  per  cent,  of  the  whole.  The 


42  FOUNDATION  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 


others  after  a  trial  had  to  be  taken  back  into  the 
Company's  service  as  soldiers  or  sailors,  most  of 
them  with  debts  that  they  could  never  wholly  clear 
off.  The  system  was  thus  a  very  unsatisfactory 
one. 

The  directors  thought  of  improving  upon  it  by 
sending  out  families  accustomed  to  agriculture  in 
the  Netherlands,  who  would  serve  as  models  for  the 
others  ;  but  though  they  offered  free  passages,  grants 
of  land  without  payment,  exemption  from  the  tithe 
for  twelve  years,  and  supplies  of  necessaries  on  easy 
credit,  very  few  people  of  the  class  required  could 
be  induced  to  migrate  to  South  Africa.  The  Cape 
was  too  far  away  and  too  little  was  known  of  it 
to  tempt  men  and  women  to  leave  a  country  where 
there  was  no  difficulty  in  making  a  comfortable  living. 
In  1 67 1,  however,  five  or  six  families  arrived,  and 
thereafter  during  several  years  one  or  two  came  out 
occasionally. 

Twenty  years  after  Mr.  Van  Riebeek  landed  and 
took  possession  of  as  much  ground  as  he  needed, 
without  thinking  of  asking  the  consent  of  any  one, 
a  member  of  the  high  court  of  justice  at  Batavia  on 
his  way  back  to  Europe  called  at  the  Cape,  and  being 
superior  in  rank  to  any  one  here,  took  command 
during  his  stay.  This  officer — Arnout  van  Overbeke 
by  name — considered  it  advisable  to  make  a  formal 
purchase  of  territory  from  the  nearest  Hottentot 
chiefs,  and  these  petty  potentates,  on  being  applied 
to,  very  readily  gave  their  consent.  If  they  reasoned 
at  all  about  the  matter,  they  probably  thought  that 
the  price  offered  was  clear  gain,  for  the  white  people 


PURCHASE  OF  TERRITORY. 


43 


would  certainly  take  as  much  ground  as  they  needed, 
whether  sold  to  them  or  not. 

At  any  rate  the  principal  chief  of  one  tribe  and  the 
regents  of  another  affixed  their  marks  to  documents 
that  are  still  in  existence,  in  which  they  ceded  to 
the  East  India  Company  the  whole  territory  from 
Saldanha  Bay  to  False  Bay,  reserving  to  themselves 
and  their  people,  however,  the  right  to  move  freely 
about  and  make  use  of  any  part  of  it  not  occupied 
by  Europeans.  They  received  nominally  in  return 
goods  to  the  value  of  £1,600,  actually — according  to 
the  accounts  furnished  to  the  directors — the  articles 
transferred  cost  £9  12s.  gd. 

\  A  few  months  after  this  transaction  an  outpost  was 
formed  at  Hottentots- Holland,  near  the  head  of  False 
Bay,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  isthmus.  One  of  the 
objects  in  view  was  to  raise  a  large  quantity  of  wheat, 
for  which  purpose  the  ground  at  that  place  appeared 
specially  suitable,  but  the  chief  design  was  to  pro- 
vide a  retreat  for  the  garrison  in  case  it  should  be 
needed.  The  Free  Netherlands  were  then  engaged 
in  the  most  unequal  struggle  that  modern  Europe 
has  witnessed,  for  Louis  XIV  of  France,  Charles 
II  of  England,  and  the  ecclesiastical  princes  of 
Cologne  and  Munster  were  united  against  them. 
On  two  occasions  shortly  before  the  war  broke  out 
the  admirals  of  French  fleets  had  taken  possession 
of  Saldanha  Bay,  though  without  leaving  any  men 
there  to  guard  it,  and  it  was  believed  that  the  French 
king  might  make  an  effort  to  seize  the  Cape  penin- 
sula. An  attack  by  the  English  was  equally  probable. 
As  events  turned  out,  the  Dutch  got  the  better  of 


44 


FOUNDATION  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY'. 


their  opponents  in  Europe,  and  the  Cape  settlement 
was  not  molested,  so  that  the  outpost  at  Hottentots- 
Holland  became  simply  a  farming  establishment 
where  the  wheat  needed  by  the  Company  was  grown. 

By  this  time  the  belt  of  land  along  the  sea  coast  as 
far  eastward  as  Mossel  Bay  had  been  thoroughly 
explored  by  parties  sent  out  to  obtain  cattle.  In 
1658  some  members  of  a  trading  expedition  climbed 
to  the  top  of  the  mountain  barrier  near  the  ravine 
through  which  the  Little  Berg  river  flows  ;  but  the 
land  as  far  as  they  could  see  appeared  to  be  un- 
inhabited, so  there  was  nothing  to  induce  further 
search  in  that  direction.  Nine  years  later  another 
way  over  the  barrier  was  found  at  the  place  now 
known  as  Sir  Lowry's  pass,  sixty  miles  south  of  the 
ravine  of  the  Little  Berg  river.  The  Hottentot  tribes 
termed  the  Hessequa,  Gauriqua,  Attaqua,  and  Oute- 
niqlia  were  then  successfully  reached  and  traded  with. 
Those  previously  known  along  the  western  coast  were 
the  Chainouqua,  the  Goringhaiqua  (or  Kaapmans), 
the  Cochoqua,  the  Grigriqua,  and  the  Namaqua. 

Bushmen  had  been  met  on  several  occasions,  and 
their  manner  of  living  was  pretty  well  known.  Some 
of  these  wild  people  had  once  attempted  to  seize  the 
merchandise  belonging  to  a  European  trading  party, 
when  a  number  of  them  were  shot  down,  greatly  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  Hessequa  and  other  Hottentots 
who  lived  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  place  where  the 
event  occurred. 


VI. 


THE  SECOND  HOTTENTOT  WAR  AND  ITS  CON- 
SEQUENCES. 

One  of  the  most  powerful  of  the  Hottentot  tribes 
near  the  Cape  peninsula  was  called  the  Cochoqua,  or 
by  some  name  which  the  Europeans  wrote  in  that 
form,  for  probably  it  had  clicks  in  it.  This  tribe  was 
composed  of  two  great  clans,  the  larger  of  which  was 
under  a  chief  named  Gonnema.  Gonnema  had  an 
evil  reputation  among  all  the  other  Hottentots  with 
whom  the  Dutch  were  acquainted,  for  he  was  in  the 
habit  of  swooping  down  upon  them  unawares  and 
helping  himself  to  their  daughters  and  their  cattle, 
and  they  were  too  weak  to  resist  him.  He  had 
sold  a  good  many  oxen  to  the  white  people,  but 
they  did  not  like  him  either,  for  his  bearing  was  never 
very  friendly.  They  usually  termed  him  the  black 
captain,  on  account  of  his  habit  of  using  soot  instead 
of  clay  to  paint  himself  with. 

In  1673  a  war  broke  out  between  Gonnema  and  the 
Europeans,  the  only  war  that  has  ever  taken  place 
between  white  people  and  natives  in  South  Africa 
of  which  we  have  not  the  versions  of  both  parties  to 


40  THE  SECOND  HOTTENTOT  WAR. 


form  a  judgment  from.  The  Cochoqua  clan  has  left 
no  story,  nor  is  there  a  plea  on  its  behalf  on  record. 
But  the  Dutch  accounts  are  full  of  details,  and  it  is 
easy  from  them  to  ascertain  how  Gonnema  came  to 
feel  himself  aggrieved. 

The  country  was  teeming  with  game,  antelopes  of 
many  kinds,  elephants,  rhinoceroses,  and  hippopotami. 
Hunters  were  sent  out  from  the  fort,  and  brought 
back  waggons  laden  with  dried  meat,  which  was 
supplied  to  the  garrison  instead  of  beef.  The  hippo- 
potamus, or  sea-cow  as  it  was  called,  was  specially 
sought  after,  for  its  flesh  was  regarded  as  equal  to 
pork,  and  whips  made  of  its  hide  commanded  a  very 
high  price  everywhere.  Parties  of  burghers  were  in 
the  habit  of  getting  leave  from  the  government  and 
going  out  hunting  elands  and  sea-cows,  sometimes 
being  away  from  home  three  or  four  weeks  together. 
It  never  seems  to  have  occurred  to  the  white  people 
that  the  Hottentots  might  object  to  the  destruction 
of  so  much  game,  but  very  likely  that  was  the  cause 
of  Gonnema's  hostility. 

In  1672  he  came  upon  some  hunters  at  Riebeek's 
Kasteel,  and  took  their  waggons  and  other  property, 
but  allowed  them  to  escape  with  their  lives.  In  the 
following  year  he  made  prisoners  of  eight  burghers 
and  a  slave  who  were  hunting  near  the  same  place, 
and  after  detaining  them  some  days  murdered  them 
all.  At  the  same  time  one  of  his  sub-captains 
surprised  a  little  trading  outpost  of  the  Company 
at  Saldanha  Bay,  plundered  it,  and  murdered  four 
Europeans. 

A  mixed  force  of  soldiers  and  burghers  was  then 


THE  SECOND  HOTTENTOT  WAR.  47 


sent  against  the  Cochoqua  clan,  and  as  it  was  partly 
composed  of  horsemen  it  had  the  good  fortune  to 
cut  off  Gonnema's  people  from  a  strong  position  to 
which  they  tried  to  retreat  and  to  seize  eight  hundred 
of  their  horned  cattle  and  nine  hundred  sheep.  The 
Hottentots  followed  the  expedition  when  returning 
to  the  fort,  but  did  not  succeed  in  recovering  their 
stock.  Ten  or  twelve  of  them  were  shot,  and  on  the 
other  side  one  burgher  was  wounded. 

Various  clans  now  offered  their  aid  against  Gonne- 
ma,  and  were  accepted  as  allies  by  the  Europeans. 
For  several  months  the  Cochoqua  kept  out  of  the 
way,  but  at  length  they  were  so  nearly  surrounded 
that  they  barely  managed  to  escape,  leaving  all  their 
cattle  behind.  The  spoil  was  much  greater  than  on  the 
first  occasion,  and  was  divided  between  the  Europeans 
and  the  Hottentot  allies. 

Gonnema  after  this  loss  kept  to  the  mountains  for 
nearly  two  years,  avoiding  his  enemies,  but  preventing 
all  intercourse  between  them  and  the  tribes  beyond. 
Then  he  pounced  suddenly  upon  some  of  the  Hottentot 
allies  of  the  Europeans,  and  with  the  loss  of  only 
fifteen  of  his  own  men  killed  a  good  many  of  them 
and  swept  off  the  greater  part  of  their  herds.  He 
was  pursued  by  all  the  soldiers  and  burghers  that 
could  be  mustered,  but  he  got  safely  away  to  his 
mountain  fastnesses.  No  expedition  sent  against 
him  after  that  time  managed  to  surprise  him,  for  his 
scouts  were  always  on  the  alert.  The  Europeans 
found  that  they  were  wearying  themselves  to  no 
purpose  in  trying  to  find  him,  so  they  desisted  from 
the  fruitless  task. 


48 


THE  SECOND  HOTTENTOT  WAR. 


For  four  years  the  settlement  was  kept  practically 
in  a  condition  of  blockade  on  the  land  side,  when 
Gonnema  sent  to  ask  for  peace,  as  he  was  tired 
of  living  like  a  Bushman  in  the  mountains.  His 
messengers  were  well  received,  and  were  followed 
by  three  of  his  chief  men,  who  agreed  in  his  name 
to  the  terms  proposed.  They  were  that  there  should 
be  peace  and  friendship  between  all  the  parties 
engaged  in  the  war,  and  that  Gonnema  should  pay 
to  the  Company  a  yearly  tribute  of  thirty  head  of 
cattle.  Presents  were  then  exchanged,  and  the  land 
was  once  more  at  rest. 

Perhaps  it  was  never  intended  that  tribute  should 
really  be  paid,  at  any  rate  it  was  considered  prudent 
not  to  refer  to  the  subject  again,  and  the  Cochoqua 
clan  was  left  untroubled  about  it. 

This  was  the  last  war  with  Hottentots  during  the 
rule  of  the  Dutch  East  India  Company  in  South  Africa. 
It  was  a  trifling  affair  if  considered  by  the  number  of 
combatants  or  the  quantity  of  spoil,  and  not  a  single 
hand-to-hand  engagement  had  taken  place  ;  but  it 
had  very  important  consequences.  During  four  years 
Gonnema  had  cut  off  the  cattle  trade,  so  there  was 
no  fresh  beef  or  mutton  for  the  crews  of  the  fleets 
that  called,  and  even  the  hospital  could  not  be 
supplied,  as  the  oxen  and  sheep  that  were  captured 
and  that  the  clans  in  alliance  with  the  Europeans 
were  able  to  furnish  were  soon  exhausted.  The 
Company  was  not  disposed  to  run  the  risk  of  a 
second  experience  of  this  kind.  The  expense  of 
the  station  had  grown  very  far  beyond  original 
expectations,  there  was  now  a  huge  fortress  to  be 


ORIGIN  OF  THE  CATTLE  FARMERS. 


49 


kept  up  and  a  large  garrison  to  be  maintained  in 
addition  to  victualling  charges  properly  so  called  ; 
and  such  an  outlay  could  only  be  justified  by  the 
perfect  efficiency  of  the  establishment.  If  a  supply 
of  fresh  meat  could  not  be  depended  upon,  one  of  the 
main  objects  of  its  existence  was  a  failure.  And  as 
trade  with  the  Hottentots  might  at  any  time  be  cut 
off  again,  European  cattle-breeders  must  be  intro- 
duced. 

The  great  difficulty  in  the  way  was  the  scarcity  of 
Europeans  with  the  habits  needed.  They  would  be 
obliged  to  live  far  apart,  and  would  be  exposed  to 
plunder  by  the  natives  and  losses  from  the  ravages  of 
wild  animals.  The  country  was  swarming  with  lions, 
leopards,  hyenas,  and  jackals  ;  and  with  the  clumsy 
firelocks  of  those  days  it  was  a  risky  matter  to  go 
out  alone  into  the  wilds.  As  a  commencement  the 
Company  established  several  cattle  posts  on  its  own 
account  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  isthmus,  to  which 
cows  and  ewes  were  sent  as  they  could  be  procured 
in  barter,  and  at  each  a  corporal  was  stationed  with  a 
few  soldiers  to  guard  the  stock. 

Then  offers  were  made  to  the  gardeners  at  Ronde- 
bosch  and  Wynberg  to  improve  their  prospects  by 
turning  cattle  breeders.  They  could  select  land  near 
the  Company's  posts,  so  that  they  would  not  be  alto- 
gether without  companionship,  no  taxes  of  any  kind 
would  be  demanded  from  them  till  they  were  in  a 
good  position,  and  breeding  cattle  would  be  lent  to 
them  to  take  care  of,  half  the  increase  of  which  would 
be  their  own.  The  view  of  the  government  was  that 
if  gardeners  and  small  farmers  could  not  be  procured 

5 


50 


EXTENSION  OF  THE  SETTLEMENT. 


as  emigrants  from  Europe,  they  must  be  trained  in 
the  old  way  of  selection  to  take  the  place  of  those 
who  should  become  stock-breeders. 

The  prospect,  however,  did  not  appear  very  attrac- 
tive, for  before  the  close  of  1679  only  eight  burghers 
accepted  the  Company's  offer,  and  took  up  their 
residence  beyond  the  isthmus. 

At  this  time  a  very  energetic  man,  named  Simon 
van  der  Stel,  arrived  from  Amsterdam  as  commander. 
No  one  could  have  been  better  qualified  to  carry  out 
the  new  project,  and  he  threw  himself  heart  and  soul 
into  it.  He  had,  however,  a  particular  desire  that  only 
Netherlander  should  settle  in  the  country,  for  he 
believed  that  whatever  was  Dutch  was  good,  and 
whatever  was  not  Dutch  was  not  worth  bothering 
about.  But  the  directors  in  Holland  were  not  of  this 
opinion.  They  were  very  glad  to  obtain  the  services 
of  competent  men  of  all  nationalities,  and  provided 
the  majority  of  the  settlers  were  Dutch  they  were 
quite  willing  to  give  equal  privileges  to  others.  * 

Except  in  this  respect  Simon  van  der  Stel  was 
allowed  to  carry  out  the  plan  in  his  own  way.  He 
began  by  inducing  a  party  of  eight  families  to  re- 
move from  Rondebosch  to  a  fertile  and  beautiful 
valley  beyond  the  isthmus,  where  he  gave  them  large 
plots  of  ground  in  freehold,  with  extensive  grazing 
rights  beyond.  This  settlement,  which  was  named 
Stellenbosch,  he  intended  to  be  the  centre  of  a  dis- 
trict in  which  all  kinds  of  farming  pursuits  should 
be  carried  on,  where  vineyards  should  be  planted 
and  wine  be  made,  where  wheat  should  be  grown 
and  cattle  be  reared.     When  the  fleets  from  India 


ARRIVAL  OF  HUGUENOTS. 


5* 


put  into  Table  Bay  on  their  way  home,  the  com- 
mander's agents  ingratiated  themselves  with  the 
people  on  board,  and  whenever  a  man  likely  to 
make  a  good  colonist  was  discovered,  inducements 
were  held  out  to  him  to  remain  in  the  country.  In 
this  way  the  vacancies  were  filled  up  in  the  Cape 
peninsula  as  fast  as  they  arose,  and  many  new-comers 
could  be  located  beside  experienced  men  at  Stellen- 
bosch. 

A  few  years  later  a  settlement  was  formed  in  a 
similar  manner  at  Drakenstein,  in  the  valley  of  the 
Berg  river,  one  of  the  most  charming  situations  in 
South  Africa. 

The  directors  were  doing  all  that  was  in  their 
power  to  get  suitable  people  to  migrate  from  the 
Netherlands.  Among  others  they  sent  out  a  few 
young  women  from  the  orphan  asylums  in  Amster- 
dam and  Rotterdam,  who  were  carefully  protected 
and  provided  for  until  they  found  husbands  in  the 
colony. 

And  now  an  event  took  place  in  Europe  which 
enabled  them  to  secure  over  a  hundred  families  of 
the  very  best  stamp.  This  was  the  revocation  by 
Louis  XIV  of  the  edict  of  Nantes,  which  drove 
many  thousands  of  Protestant  refugees  from  France 
into  Holland.  Their  presence  in  some  of  the  pro- 
vinces so  greatly  reduced  the  demand  for  labour 
that  industrious  Dutch  families  were  more  willing 
to  remove  than  they  had  previously  been,  and  the 
Company  was  able  to  send  to  South  Africa  nearly 
two  hundred  Huguenots  and  about  the  same  number 
of  Dutch  people  of  both  sexes  and  all  ages.  Upon 


52 


EXTENSION  OE  THE  SETTLEMENT. 


their  arrival  they  were  scattered  over  the  country 
between  the  Grocnberg,  the  Koeberg,  and  Hotten- 
tots-Holland, the  larger  number  of  the  French  being 
located  in  the  valley  of  the  Berg  river.  Care  was 
taken,  however,  to  mix  them  together,  so  that  the 
nationalities  would  speedily  become  blended. 

Having  now  a  base  to  fall  back  upon  if  necessary, 
a  few  stragglers  began  to  push  their  way  in  one 
direction  down  the  Berg  river,  and  in  another  beyond 
the  Koeberg.  Still,  at  the  close  of  the  seventeenth 
century  there  was  no  white  man  living  more  than 
forty-five  miles  from  the  castle,  and  the  whole  terri- 
tory occupied  by  Europeans  was  within  the  range  of 
mountains  visible  from  ships  at  anchor  in  Table  Bay. 

The  colonists,  with  their  wives  and  children,  were 
then  some  fourteen  hundred  in  number.  The  French 
Huguenots  were  about  one-sixth  of  the  whole,  a 
rather  larger  proportion  consisted  of  Germans  from 
the  borderland  between  the  high  and  low  Teutons, 
and  nearly  two-thirds  were  Dutch  from  the  different 
Netherland  provinces.  The  Germans  were,  almost 
without  exception,  men  who  were  married  to  Dutch 
women.  Intermarriages  between  the  Huguenots  and 
other  colonists  were  common,  and  in  another  genera- 
tion distinctions  of  nationality  were  entirely  lost. 

The  language  used  in  common  conversation  was 
Dutch  made  as  simple  and  expressive  as  possible,  so 
as  to  be  understood  by  slaves  with  only  the  mental 
capacities  of  children.  Grammatical  rules  were  dis- 
regarded. In  the  pulpit  and  in  family  devotions, 
however,  correct  Dutch  was  used,  as  it  is  very 
generally  to  the  present  day. 


FORM  OF  GOVERNMENT. 


53 


There  were  three  churches  provided  with  clergy- 
men :  in  Capetown,  at  Stellenbosch,  and  at  Draken- 
stein.  At  each  of  these  places  there  was  also  a 
public  school,  in  which  children  were  taught  to  read 
the  bible,  to  cast  up  simple  accounts,  to  repeat  the 
Heidelberg  catechism,  and  to  sing  the  psalms.  The 
Dutch  reformed  was  the  state  church,  and  no  other 
public  services  were  allowed,  but  in  their  own  houses 
people  might  hold  any  kind  of  worship  that  they 
pleased. 

The  head  of  the  settlement  was  now  termed  the 
governor.  Public  matters  of  all  kinds  were  regulated 
by  a  council  of  eight  individuals,  who  were  the  highest 
officials  in  rank  in  the  country.  In  this  council  the 
governor  sat  as  president.  In  Capetown  there  was 
a  court  for  the  trial  of  petty  cases,  and  a  high  court 
of  justice,  from  whose  decisions  there  was  an  appeal 
to  the  supreme  court  at  Batavia.  Three  burghers 
had  seats  in  the  high  court  of  justice  whenever  cases 
affecting  colonists  were  tried.  They  were  the  spokes- 
men between  the  colonists  and  the  government,  and 
were  consulted  upon  all  matters  affecting  the  settle- 
ment, but  they  had  no  votes  outside  the  court  of 
justice.    They  were  called  burgher  councillors. 

At  Stellenbosch  there  was  a  court  which  had  cog- 
nisance of  all  petty  cases  beyond  the  Cape  peninsula. 
It  was  presided  over  by  an  official  termed  a  landdrost, 
who  also  collected  the  revenue  and  looked  after  the 
Company's  interests  generally.  Eight  burghers — 
termed  heemraden — had  seats  and  votes.  This  court 
acted  further  as  a  district  council,  in  which  capacity 
it  saw  to  the  repair  of  roads,  the  distribution  of  water, 


54 


FORM  OF  GOVERNMENT. 


the  destruction  of  noxious  animals,  and  various  other 
matters.  It  raised  a  revenue  by  erecting  a  mill  to 
grind  corn  and  leasing  it  to  the  highest  bidder,  by 
collecting  a  yearly  tax  of  one  shilling  and  fourpence 
for  every  hundred  sheep  or  twenty  head  of  horned 
cattle  owned  by  the  farmers,  and  by  sundry  other 
small  imposts.  Further,  it  had  power  to  compel  the 
inhabitants  to  supply  waggons,  cattle,  slaves,  and 
their  own  labour  for  public  purposes. 

In  Capetown  there  was  an  orphan  chamber,  which 
acted  as  trustee  of  property  belonging  to  children 
when  a  parent  died.  There  was  also  a  matrimonial 
court,  before  which  every  person  in  the  settlement — 
male  and  female — who  wished  to  be  married  had  to 
appear  and  show  that  there  were  no  legal  impedi- 
ments to  the  union. 

All  these  bodies — burgher  councillors,  petty  court 
of  justice,  heemraden,  orphan  chamber,  and  matri- 
monial court — as  also  the  consistories  of  the  churches, 
were  in  a  manner  self-perpetuating  corporations. 
Every  year  some  of  their  members  retired,  but  before 
doing  so  double  lists  of  names  were  sent  by  the 
boards  to  the  government,  and  from  these  lists  their 
successors  were  appointed.  Such  a  thing  as  popular 
election  to  any  office  was  unknown.  The  system 
worked  well  on  the  whole,  and  the  people  were 
satisfied  with  it. 

The  burghers  were  required  to  meet  at  stated 
periods  for  drill  and  practice  in  the  use  of  arms, 
and  all  were  held  liable  for  service  in  case  of  the 
appearance  of  an  enemy.  They  were  formed  into 
companies  of  cavalry  and   infantry,  each  with  its 


FORM  OF  GOVERNMENT. 


55 


standard  of  a  particular  colour.  Most  of  them  were 
excellent  marksmen,  owing  to  their  habits  of  fre- 
quently hunting  game  ;  but  their  firearms  were 
very  clumsy  weapons  compared  with  those  of  our 
day.  To  reduce  the  cost  of  the  garrison,  numbers 
of  soldiers  were  permitted  to  engage  as  servants  to 
burghers,  on  condition  that  they  could  be  called  back 
to  their  colours  at  any  time. 

Capetown  at  the  close  of  the  century  contained 
about  eighty  private  houses.  The  great  garden  of 
the  Company,  which  Simon  van  der  Stel  had  partly 
converted  into  a  nursery  for  European,  Indian,  and 
native  plants,  was  regarded  as  something  marvellous 
by  visitors  of  all  nations,  so  great  a  variety  of  vege- 
tation was  to  be  seen  and  admired  there.  This 
governor,  upon  his  retirement  in  1699,  went  to  live 
upon  a  beautiful  estate  which  the  Company  gave  him 
a  little  beyond  Wynberg,  where  he  planted  the  vine- 
yards that  in  later  years  produced  the  celebrated 
Constantia  wines.  He  was  an  enthusiast  in  the 
matter  of  cultivating  oak  trees,  and  during  the  twenty 
years  of  his  government  many  scores  of  thousands 
were  planted  by  his  orders  all  over  the  settlement. 

The  system  of  taxation  was  as  bad  as  could  be 
devised,  so  far  as  effect  upon  the  character  of  the 
people  was  concerned.  The  exclusive  right  to  sell 
various  articles — among  others  spirituous  liquors — was 
sold  by  auction  as  a  monopoly  to  the  highest  bidder. 
Upon  anything  that  the  government  required— such 
as  beef  and  mutton — a  price  per  pound  was  fixed  to 
the  residents  in  Capetown,  and  a  much  higher  price 
to  foreigners  ;  the  monopoly  was  then  put  up  for 


56 


SYSTEM  OF  TAXATION. 


sale,  and  whoever  offered  to  supply  the  Company  at 
the  lowest  rate  became  the  purchaser.  Thus  beef 
might  be  a  penny  a  pound  to  a  mechanic  in  Cape- 
town, twopence  a  pound  to  the  captain  of  an  English 
ship,  and  a  halfpenny  a  pound  to  the  Company's 
hospital.  The  tithe  of  grain  and  the  district  tax 
upon  cattle  were  both  paid  upon  returns  made  by  the 
farmers  themselves,  so  that  a  premium  was  offered 
for  falsehood.  This  system  was  soon  discovered  to 
be  vicious,  but  it  was  continued  without  modification 
until  towards  the  close  of  the  next  century. 

The  government  exercised  the  right  of  fixing  the 
price  of  anything  that  it  needed,  and  prohibiting  the 
sale  of  the  article  to  any  one  else  until  its  own  wants 
were  supplied.  Thus,  if  half-a-dozen  Dutch  ships  and 
two  or  three  English  Indiamen  were  lying  at  anchor 
in  Table  Bay  at  a  time  when  the  meal  in  the  Com- 
pany's stores  was  exhausted,  the  Englishmen  would 
certainly  get  no  bread  until  the  Hollanders'  tables 
were  covered.  But,  upon  the  whole,  strangers  were 
much  better  treated  here  than  the  Dutch  were  treated 
in  foreign  ports,  and  it  was  only  in  times  of  scarcity 
that  they  had  cause  to  complain  of  anything  except 
high  prices. 

The  Company  was  supposed  to  be  the  only  whole- 
sale merchant  in  the  country.  From  its  stores  in 
Capetown  shopkeepers  were  supplied  with  imported 
goods,  and  everything  that  was  exported  in  bulk 
passed  through  its  hands.  But  in  point  of  fact  a 
large  proportion  of  the  trade  of  the  country  was 
carried  on  with  ships'  people,  Dutch  and  foreign. 
From  the  captain  of  an  Indiaman  of  any  nationality 


SYSTEM  OF  TRADE. 


57 


down  to  the  youngest  midshipman,  every  one  had 
some  little  venture  of  his  own  that  he  was  always 
ready  to  trade  with.  It  might  be  a  bale  of  calico,  or 
it  might  be  a  slave,  for  many  bondsmen  were  brought 
to  South  Africa  in  this  way.  Even  among  the  fore- 
mast hands  the  spirit  of  commerce  was  strong.  A 
sailor  when  homeward  bound  was  commonly  accom- 
panied by  monkeys  and  parrots  and  cockatoos  and 
various  descriptions  of  birds  and  beasts  till  the  fore- 
castle was  often  like  a  menagerie,  in  his  chest  he  had 
fancy  articles  from  Japan,  silk  handkerchiefs  from 
China,  or  perhaps  some  curiosities  picked  up  at  an 
Indian  isle.  This  kind  of  commerce  was  very  petty, 
but  in  the  aggregate  it  must  have  amounted  to  some- 
thing considerable,  for  the  inhabitants  of  Capetown 
during  more  than  a  hundred  years  lived  and  throve 
upon  it.  Nowhere  in  the  world,  we  read  again  and 
again  in  accounts  of  travellers  of  many  nationalities, 
could  a  greater  variety  of  goods  be  purchased  and 
sold.  The  traffic  was  carried  on  openly,  for  though 
there  was  a  law  that  goods  should  not  be  imported  by 
foreigners,  it  was  not  applied  to  ventures  by  ships' 
people — English,  French,  or  Danish — on  their  own 
account. 

By  this  time  the  knowledge  of  South  African 
geography  had  very  greatly  increased.  Simon  van 
der  Stel  himself  with  a  large  party  of  attendants  had 
visited  the  copper  mountain  of  Little  Namaqualand, 
and  had  received  information  from  the  natives  there 
of  the  great  river  now  known  as  the  Orange.  Some 
Dutch  and  English  sailors,  shipwrecked  on  the  eastern 
coast,  before  they  were  rescued  had  travelled  in  one 


EXPLORATION. 


59 


direction  to  Delagoa  Bay,  and  in  the  other  to  the 
Buffalo  river.  From  them  as  accurate  an  account  of 
the  southern  Bantu  tribes  was  obtained  as  any  we 
have  at  the  present  day.  Parties  of  cattle  traders 
had  brought  back  information  of  every  Hottentot 
tribe  in  existence  except  the  Korana.  But  as  yet  no 
white  man  had  set  foot  upon  the  plain  of  the  Karoo, 
and  consequently  nothing  was  known  of  the  far 
interior. 


VII. 


PROGRESS    OF    THE    CAFE  COLONY   FROM    170O  TO 

I750. 

In  the  first  year  of  the  eighteenth  century  the 
second  terrace  upward  from  the  sea  began  to  be 
occupied  by  Europeans.  Wilheui  Adrian  van  der 
Stel,  eldest  son  of  Simon  van  der  Stel,  was  then 
governor.  He  made  a  tour  of  inspection  through  the 
settlement,  and  afterwards  crossed  the  mountain  range 
close  to  the  ravine  of  the  Little  Berg  river,  for  the 
purpose  of  examining  the  country  beyond.  It  was 
the  beautiful  tract  of  land  now  called  the  Tulbagh 
basin  which  the  governor  and  his  party  entered,  and 
it  seemed  to  them  to  invite  human  occupation. 

The  settlement  on  the  coast  belt  had  been  a  success, 
but  it  had  not  been  able  to  supply  many  cattle.  The 
land  was  adapted  for  cultivation,  there  was  a  market 
within  easy  reach,  and  the  ideas  of  the  people 
favoured  the  plough.  To  this  day  the  inhabitants 
of  that  part  of  the  country  depend  upon  their  crops 
of  wheat,  their  fruit,  and  their  wine,  and  keep  no 
more  oxen  and  sheep  than  are  required  for  their  own 
use. 


LIFE  OF  THE  EARLY  SETTLERS. 


61 


On  the  other  side  of  the  mountain  range  agriculture 
was  not  then  possible.  The  Tulbagh  basin  is  fertile  ; 
its  extensive  corn  lands,  its  vineyards,  and  the  gar- 
dens and  orchards  round  its  homesteads  form  now 
a  pleasant  sight  in  the  early  summer  ;  but  in  those 
days,  when  there  was  no  other  way  of  access  to  it 
than  over  a  mountain  that  could  only  be  crossed  with 
the  greatest  difficulty,  no  man  would  think  of  making 
a  living  by  the  plough.  Cattle  breeding  alone  could 
be  depended  upon  there. 

A  small  military  outpost  was  formed  in  the  basin 
to  protect  the  settlers  from  the  Bushmen  who  had 
their  haunts  in  the  surrounding  mountains,  and  then 
several  families  were  induced  to  try  their  fortune  in 
the  lonely  vale.  A  few  individuals  were  still  being 
sent  out  from  Europe  every  year,  and  the  old  system 
of  discharging  servants  of  the  Company  continued  in 
practice,  so  that  settlers  were  obtainable.  But  as  a 
rule  new-comers  were  located  near  the  Cape  penin- 
sula, and  young  people  born  in  the  country  com- 
menced life  for  themselves  beyond  the  mountain 
range. 

Gradually  they  spread  beyond  the  Tulbagh  basin, 
down  the  valley  of  the  Breede  river,  and  over  the 
Witsenberg  to  the  high  plateau  called  the  Warm 
Bokkeveld.  Others  crossed  the  range  at  Hottentots- 
Holland,  and  pushed  their  way  along  the  banks  of 
the  Zonderend  and  down  towards  the  sea  at  Cape 
Agulhas.  Others  again  kept  up  the  western  coast 
belt,  passed  the  Piketberg,  and  in  course  of  time 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  Elephant  river. 

The  life  led  by  these  pioneers  of  civilisation  was 


LIFE  OF  THE  EARLY  SETTLERS. 


63 


rough  and  wild,  but  it  had  its  own  peculiar  charm. 
Cattle  breeding  was  found  to  pay  fairly  well.  Some- 
times Bushmen  would  drive  off  oxen  or  sheep, 
and  a  little  excitement  was  caused  by  the  pursuit  of 
the  marauders,  but  otherwise  the  time  passed  away 
quietly.  The  best  of  health  was  commonly  enjoyed, 
and  there  was  the  most  perfect  freedom.  The  only 
direct  tax  towards  the  general  revenue  was  £$  a 
year,  which  each  grazier  was  required  to  pay,  and  for 
which  he  had  a  legal  right  to  the  use  of  six  thousand 
acres  of  ground,  with  the  privilege  of  moving  into 
the  Karoo  for  a  couple  of  months  every  year  to  give 
his  stock  a  change  of  pasture.  During  these  migra- 
tions he  and  his  family  slept  in  a  great  tent  waggon, 
and  passed  the  day  in  the  open  air,  usually  selecting 
a  patch  of  trees  on  the  bank  of  a  stream  for  a  camping 
place.  A  distaste  for  town  life,  with  its  restraints 
and  all  the  nameless  annoyances  to  which  simple 
people  are  exposed  when  in  contact  with  men  of 
sharper  intellect,  soon  became  part  of  the  nature  of  a 
cattle  breeder,  and  grew  stronger  with  each  succeeding 
generation.  The  children  and  grandchildren  of  Dutch 
gardeners,  German  mechanics,  and  Huguenot  trades- 
men by  force  of  circumstances  reverted  in  habits  and 
in  thought  to  the  condition  of  semi-nomads.  In  the 
language  of  South  Africa  these  people  were  called 
trekboeren,  that  is  wandering  farmers.  Many  of 
them  became  expert  elephant  hunters,  and  travelled 
great  distances  in  search  of  ivory. 

Behind  them,  as  they  moved  onward,  a  more  settled 
class  of  people  occupied  the  country,  though  very 
thinly.    These  built  better  houses  than  the  others,  as 


64  CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1700  TO  1750. 

soon  as  rough  roads  were  made  they  combined  agri- 
culture with  cattle  breeding,  and  generally  they  led 
more  stable  lives.  In  this  manner  hardly  a  year 
passed  by  without  an  expansion  of  the  settlement. 

Wilhem  Adrian  van  der  Stel,  who  was  governor 
when  the  colonists  crossed  the  first  mountain  range, 
was  a  man  of  culture  and  ability,  but  he  had  an 
inordinate  passion  for  making  money,  a  fault  that  was 
common  to  many  of  the  Company's  servants.  To  get 
together  a  fortune  with  which  to  return  to  the  Nether- 
lands was  an  object  ever  before  the  eyes  of  these  men, 
and  the  system  under  which  they  served  favoured  the 
accomplishment  of  their  plans.  The  Company  paid 
its  officers  the  smallest  of  salaries,  but  allowed  them 
perquisites  of  various  kinds.  In  the  preceding 
chapter  mention  has  been  made  of  the  trade  carried 
on  under  its  sanction  by  the  people  of  its  fleets.  Its 
officials  on  shore  had  even  greater  privileges.  Some 
of  them  received  commissions  on  sales  and  purchases 
of  goods,  others  held  monopolies  of  lucrative  duties, 
others  again  were  allowed  to  trade  in  specified  articles 
on  their  own  account.  Spices  only  were  guarded  with 
the  most  extreme  jealousy,  and  if  any  one  had 
ventured  to  buy  or  sell  a  pound  of  pepper  or  a  dozen 
nutmegs  except  at  the  Company's  stores,  dismissal 
from  the  service  would  have  been  the  lightest  part  of 
his  punishment. 

It  followed  from  this  system  that  in  the  early  days 
of  the  settlement  the  officials  in  South  Africa  were 
in  general  exceedingly  anxious  to  get  on  to  India, 
because  there  was  little  or  nothing  to  be  made  here. 
Some  of  them  had  been  allowed  to  carry  on  farming 


WILHEM  ADRIAN  VAN  DER  STEL.  65 


on  their  own  account,  the  landdrost  of  Stellenbosch 
had  a  monopoly  as  an  auctioneer,  the  secretary  of  the 
council  had  a  monopoly  of  making  out  certain  legal 
documents,  and  several  others  had  exclusive  privi- 
leges ;  but  what  were  these  petty  gains,  they  thought, 
to  the  wealth  that  was  gathered  by  others  in  the 
Indian  isles. 

Wilhem  Adrian  van  der  Stel  looked  about  for  some 
means  to  fill  his  purse,  but  could  devise  nothing  else 
than  a  farm.  Of  course  he  could  not  take  ground  for 
himself;  but  an  officer  of  higher  rank  who  called  was 
obliging  enough  to  give  him  a  tract  of  land  at 
Hottentots-Holland,  to  which  he  afterwards  added  by 
granting  a  plot  of  the  adjoining  ground  to  one  of  his 
dependents,  and  then  purchasing  it  from  the  grantee 
at  a  nominal  price.  At  this  place  he  erected  exten- 
sive buildings,  planted  nearly  half  a  million  vines,  and 
laid  out  groves,  orchards,  and  corn  lands  to  a  corres- 
ponding extent.  In  the  open  country  beyond  the 
mountain  he  kept  from  six  to  eight  hundred  breeding 
cattle  and  eight  or  ten  thousand  sheep.  Of  this 
extensive  establishment  the  directors  were  kept  in 
entire  ignorance,  and  there  is  no  mention  whatever  of 
it  in  any  official  document  until  complaints  against 
the  governor  reached  Holland. 

The  burghers  looked  upon  the  big  farm  with  very 
lively  indignation.  Their  principal  gains  were  derived 
from  the  sale  of  produce  to  foreigners,  and  they  saw 
that  market  being  practically  closed  to  them.  The 
governor,  they  believed,  would  manage  to  secure  the 
larger  part  of  any  profitable  business  for  himself,  and 
whatever  escaped  him  would  fall  to  his  father,  who 

6 


WILHEM  ADRIAN  VAN  DER  STEL. 


67 


was  farming  at  Constantia,  or  to  his  younger  brother, 
who  was  farming  below  Stellenbosch. 

There  have  never  been  people  less  willing  to  sub- 
mit silently  to  grievances,  real  or  imaginary,  than  the 
colonists  of  South  Africa.  In  1705  some  of  them 
sent  a  complaint  of  what  was  going  on  to  the 
governor-general  and  council  of  India,  but  at  Batavia 
nothing  was  done  in  the  matter.  Probably  they  did 
not  expect  redress  from  that  quarter,  for  before  there 
was  time  to  receive  a  reply,  a  memorial  to  the 
directors  was  drawn  up  and  signed  by  sixty-three  of 
the  best  men  in  the  settlement.  In  this  document 
Wilhem  Adrian  van  der  Stel  was  accused  of  miscon- 
duct and  corrupt  practices  tending  to  the  serious  loss 
and  oppression  of  the  colonists.  Similar  charges,  but 
in  a  lower  degree,  were  made  against  the  officer  next 
in  rank  to  the  governor  and  against  the  clergyman  of 
Capetown.  These  persons  also  had  been  neglecting 
their  public  duties,  and  devoting  their  attention  to 
farming. 

With  the  arrival  of  the  homeward-bound  fleet  at  the 
beginning  of  1706  the  governor  learnt  of  the  com- 
plaint sent  to  Batavia,  and  immediately  suspected 
that  a  similar  charge  would  be  forwarded  to  Holland. 
The  danger  of  his  position  now  drove  him  to  acts  of 
extreme  folly  as  well  as  of  tyranny.  He  caused  a 
certificate  to  be  drawn  up,  in  which  he  was  credited 
with  the  highest  virtues  and  the  utmost  satisfaction 
was  expressed  with  his  manner  of  ruling  the  colony. 
The  residents  in  the  Cape  peninsula  were  invited  to 
the  castle,  and  were  then  requested  to  sign  this  cer- 
tificate.   The  landdrost  of  Stellenbosch  was  directed 


68 


CAPE  COLONY  FROM  I70O  TO  1750. 


to  proceed  with  an  armed  party  from  house  to  house 
in  the  country,  and  get  the  residents  there  to  sign  it 
also.  By  these  means  two  hundred  and  forty  names 
in  all  were  obtained,  including  those  of  a  few  Asiatics 
and  free  blacks.  Many,  however,  refused  to  affix 
their  signatures,  even  under  the  landdrost's  threat 
that  they  would  be  marked  men  if  they  did  not. 

The  governor  suspected  that  a  farmer  at  Stellen- 
bosch  named  Adam  Tas  was  the  secretary  of  the  dis- 
affected party,  and  the  landdrost  was  directed  to  have 
him  arrested.  Early  one  morning  his  house  was 
surrounded  by  an  armed  party,  he  was  seized  and 
sent  to  the  castle,  his  premises  were  searched,  and  his 
writing-desk  was  carried  away.  There  could  be  no 
truce  after  this  between  the  governor  and  his  op- 
ponents, for  if  a  burgher  could  be  treated  in  this 
manner,  upon  mere  suspicion  of  having  drawn  up  a 
memorial  to  the  high  authorities,  no  man's  liberty 
would  be  safe.  Bail  was  at  once  offered  for  the 
appearance  of  Tas  before  a  court  of  justice,  but  was 
refused.  He  was  committed  to  prison,  where  he  was 
kept  nearly  fourteen  months. 

In  his  desk  was  found  the  draft  from  which  the 
memorial  to  the  directors  had  been  copied.  It  was 
unsigned,  but  papers  attached  to  it  indicated  several 
of  those  who  had  taken  part  in  the  matter.  Within 
the  next  few  days  seven  of  these  were  arrested,  two 
of  whom  were  committed  to  prison,  one  was  sent  to 
Batavia,  and  four  were  put  on  board  a  ship  bound  to 
Amsterdam.  The  governor  hoped  to  terrify  them 
into  signing  the  certificate  in  his  favour  and  denying 
the  truth  of  the  charges  against  him,  but  not  one  of 


WILHEM  ADRIAN  VAN  DER  STEL.  69 


them  faltered  for  a  moment.  Their  wives  petitioned 
that  the  prisoners  might  be  brought  to  trial  at  once 
before  a  proper  court  of  justice,  and  when  it  was 
hinted  that  if  they  would  induce  their  husbands  to  do 
what  was  desired,  release  would  follow,  these  true- 
hearted  women  indignantly  refused.  In  the  mean- 
time the  memorial  had  been  committed  to  the  care 
of  a  physician  in  the  return  fleet,  and  after  the  ships 
sailed  he  gave  it  to  one  of  the  burghers  who  were 
banished. 

The  governor  continued  to  act  as  if  his  will  was 
above  the  law  of  the  land.  Further  arrests  of 
burghers  were  made  by  his  direction,  the  properly 
constituted  courts  were  abolished,  and  in  their  stead 
his  creatures  were  appointed  to  office.  The  people 
of  Stellenbosch,  men  and  women,  announced  their 
determination  to  maintain  their  rights,  upon  which 
a  body  of  soldiers  was  sent  to  support  the  landdrost. 

Meantime  three  of  the  burghers  sent  to  Europe 
arrived  at  Amsterdam,  the  other  having  died  on  the 
passage,  and  they  lost  not  a  day  before  presenting 
the  memorial  to  the  directors  and  making  their  own 
complaint.  In  a  matter  of  this  kind  it  was  necessary 
to  act  with  promptitude  as  well  as  with  justice.  The 
Company  had  numerous  and  powerful  enemies 
always  watching  for  a  chance  to  attack  it  before 
the  states-general,  and  a  charge  of  oppression  of 
free  Netherlander  in  one  of  its  colonies  would  be 
a  weapon  of  which  they  would  not  fail  to  make 
good  use.  A  commission  was  therefore  appointed 
to  investigate  the  matter,  and  a  report  was  presently 
sent  in  by  it  that  the  charges  were  very  grave.  In 


70  CAPE  COLONY  FROM  17OO  TO  1750. 


consequence  the  governor,  the  officer  next  in  rank, 
the  clergyman  of  Capetown,  and  the  landdrost  of 
Stellenbosch  were  suspended  from  duty  and  ordered 
to  return  to  Europe  to  undergo  a  trial.  The  colonists 
sent  delegates  home  to  maintain  their  charges,  and 
the  result  was  that  the  offending  officials  were  all 
dismissed  from  the  service  and  Wilhem  Adrian  van 
der  Stel's  farm  was  confiscated. 

From  the  documents  connected  with  this  case  the 
views  of  the  directors  and  of  the  colonists  concerning 
the  government  of  the  country  and  the  rights  of  its 
people  can  be  gathered  with  great  precision.  The 
directors  desired  to  have  a  large  body  of  freemen 
living  in  comfort,  loyal  to  the  fatherland,  ready  and 
willing  to  assist  in  the  defence  of  the  colony  if 
attacked,  enjoying  the  same  rights  as  their  equals 
in  Europe,  and  not  differing  much  from  each  other 
in  rank  or  position.  They  issued  orders  that  no 
official,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  was  to  own 
or  lease  a  tract  of  land  larger  than  a  garden,  or  to 
trade  in  any  way  in  corn,  wine,  or  cattle.  The 
burghers  were  to  be  governed  in  accordance  with 
law  and  justice. 

On  their  part,  the  colonists  claimed  exactly  the 
same  rights  as  if  they  were  still  living  in  the  Nether- 
lands. They  expressed  no  wish  for  a  change  in  the 
form  of  government,  what  they  desired  being  merely 
that  the  control  of  affairs  should  be  placed  in  honest 
hands.  In  their  opinion  they  forfeited  nothing  by 
removal  to  South  Africa,  and  the  violence  displayed 
by  the  governor  towards  Adam  Tas  and  his  associates 
was  as  outrageous  as  if  it  had  taken  place  in  the  city 


FIRST  OUTBREAK  OF  SMALL-POX. 


71 


of  Amsterdam.  They  asserted  their  undoubted  right 
to  personal  liberty,  to  exemption  from  arrest  unless 
under  reasonable  suspicion  of  crime,  to  admission  to 
bail,  to  speedy  trial  before  a  proper  court  of  justice, 
to  freedom  to  sell  to  any  one,  burgher  or  foreigner, 
except  under  special  circumstances  when  restriction 
was  needed  for  the  good  of  the  community,  whatever 
their  land  produced,  after  the  tithes  had  been  paid 
and  the  Company's  needs  had  been  supplied.  And 
these  claims,  made  in  as  explicit  terms  as  they  could 
be  to-day  by  an  Englishman  living  in  a  crown  colony, 
were  not  challenged  by  the  directors  or  even  the 
partisans  of  the  late  governor,  but  were  accepted  by 
every  one  as  unquestioned. 

In  17 10  the  island  of  Mauritius  was  abandoned 
by  the  Dutch  East  India  Company,  the  directors 
having  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  not  worth 
the  cost  of  maintaining  a  large  garrison,  and  that 
with  a  small  garrison  it  was  not  secure.  A  few 
colonists  who  were  there  had  the  choice  of  removal 
to  South  Africa  or  to  Java,  and  nine  families  elected 
to  come  to  this  country.  A  few  months  later  the 
French  took  possession  of  the  island,  and  under 
them  it  soon  became  a  place  of  importance. 

In  17 13  a  terrible  evil  came  upon  the  country. 
In  March  of  that  year  the  small-pox  made  its  first 
appearance  in  South  Africa.  It  was  introduced  by 
means  of  some  clothing  belonging  to  ships'  people 
who  had  been  ill  on  the  passage  from  India,  but 
who  had  recovered  before  they  reached  Table  Bay. 
This  clothing  was  sent  to  be  washed  at  the  Com- 
pany's slave  lodge,  and  the  women  who  handled  it 


72  CAPE  COLONY  FROM  17OO  TO  1750. 


were  the  first  to  be  smitten.  The  Company  had  at 
the  time  about  five  hundred  and  seventy  slaves  of 
both  sexes  and  all  ages,  nearly  two  hundred  of  whom 
were  carried  off  within  the  next  six  months. 

From  the  slaves  the  disease  spread  to  the  Euro- 
peans and  the  natives.  In  May  and  June  there  was 
hardly  a  family  in  the  town  that  had  not  some  one 
sick  or  dead.  Traffic  in  the  streets  was  suspended, 
and  even  the  children  ceased  to  play  their  usual 
games  in  the  squares  and  open  places.  At  last  it 
was  impossible  to  obtain  nurses,  though  slave  women 
were  being  paid  at  the  rate  of  four  and  five  shillings 
a  day.  All  the  planks  in  the  stores  were  used,  and 
in  July  it  became  necessary  to  bury  the  dead  without 
coffins.  During  that  dreadful  winter  nearly  one- 
fourth  of  the  European  inhabitants  of  the  town 
perished,  and  only  when  the  hot  weather  set  in  did 
the  plague  cease. 

The  disease  spread  into  the  country,  but  there  the 
proportion  of  white  people  that  perished  was  not  so 
large  as  in  the  town.  It  was  easier  to  keep  from 
contact  with  sick  persons.  Some  families  living  in 
secluded  places  were  quite  shut  off  from  the  rest  of 
the  colony,  and  the  farmers  in  general  avoided  moving 
about. 

The  death  rate  among  the  free  blacks  was  very 
high,  but  it  was  among  the  Hottentots  that  it 
reached  its  maximum.  Whole  kraals  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  Cape  peninsula  disappeared  with- 
out leaving  a  single  representative.  The  unfortunate 
clans  when  attacked,  believing  that  they  were  be- 
witched, gave  way  to  despair,  and  made  no  effort 


FIRST  OUTBREAK  OF  SMALL- POX. 


73 


to  save  themselves.  The  beach  rangers  in  Table 
Valley  did  not  even  remove  the  dead  from  their 
huts,  but  sat  down  and  awaited  their  own  turn 
without  a  gleam  of  hope. 

When  the  disease  ceased  there  were  only  dejected 
remnants  left  of  the  old  tribes  of  the  Hessequa, 
Chainouqua,  Goringhaiqua,  Cochoqua,  and  Grigri- 
qua.  Beyond  them  it  had  not  spread.  After  this 
date  these  tribal  titles  are  not  found  in  official  records 
or  accounts  by  travellers,  and  the  Hottentot  clans 
that  remained  within  a  hundred  miles  of  the  castle 
ceased  to  be  regarded  as  of  any  importance.  They 
continued  as  before  to  be  governed  by  their  own 
chiefs  without  interference  from  the  European 
authorities  except  when  they  committed  crimes 
against  white  people  or  slaves,  there  were  reserves 
specially  set  apart  for  their  use,  and  they  were  at 
liberty  to  roam  over  any  land  not  occupied  by 
colonists  ;  but  they  were  without  influence  or  power, 
and  their  friendship  was  no  longer  courted  nor 
their  enmity  feared. 

It  does  not  appear  that  the  Bushmen  suffered  from 
the  small-pox,  for  by  some  chance  they  did  not  come 
into  contact  with  other  people  while  it  was  prevalent. 
In  general  there  was  war  between  them  and  the 
colonists.  As  the  game  was  destroyed  or  retreated, 
they  turned  to  the  oxen  and  sheep  of  the  graziers 
for  sustenance,  and  it  was  then  a  matter  of  necessity 
to  expel  them  from  their  haunts.  They  would  not, 
or  could  not,  accommodate  themselves  to  the  new 
order  of  things  that  was  growing  up  around  them, 
and  therefore  they  were  doomed  to  perish.    But  the 


74 


CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1700  TO  1750. 


struggle  was  a  severe  one,  and  there  were  times 
when  it  almost  seemed  as  if  the  wild  people  would 
be  able  to  turn  back  the  wave  of  colonisation  that 
was  spreading  over  the  country.  They  managed  to 
inflict  heavy  losses  upon  the  Europeans  by  burning 
houses  and  driving  off  cattle,  and  occasionally  a  man 
or  a  woman  died  from  the  poison  of  their  arrows  ; 
but  in  the  long  run  the  combined  action  of  the 
farmers  and  the  superiority  of  the  flintlock  over  the 
bow  decided  the  question  against  them. 

In  1 72 1  the  Company  established  a  station  at 
Delagoa  Bay,  with  the  object  of  opening  up  a  trade 
along  the  eastern  coast.  This  station  was  a  de- 
pendency of  the  Cape  government,  just  as  Mauri- 
tius had  been.  But  the  place  proved  exceedingly 
unhealthy,  and  the  trade  in  gold,  ivory,  copper,  and 
slaves  was  very  much  smaller  than  had  been  antici- 
pated. On  one  occasion  also  the  factory  was  sur- 
prised and  plundered  by  pirates.  Attempts  were 
repeatedly  made  to  explore  the  country  and  find  the 
place  from  which  a  little  alluvial  gold  was  brought 
by  occasional  black  visitors,  but  the  parties  sent  out 
never  succeeded  in  getting  beyond  the  Lebombo 
mountains,  as  either  fever  attacked  them  or  hostile 
natives  barred  the  way.  In  every  respect  the  station 
was  a  failure,  and,  therefore,  after  maintaining  it  for 
nearly  ten  years  at  a  great  sacrifice  of  life  and  money, 
the  Company  abandoned  it. 

After  the  punishment  inflicted  upon  Wilhem 
Adrian  van  der  Stel  and  his  associates,  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Cape  Colony  was  conducted  for  nearly 
three-quarters  of  a  century  in  a  fairly  honest  manner, 


SYSTEM  OF  ADMINISTRATION. 


75 


and  no  complaint  of  tyranny  or  oppression  was  made 
by  the  people.  The  system  of  administration,  indeed, 
opened  a  door  to  abuses  that  in  the  same  form  would 
not  be  tolerated  now,  and  they  were  certainly  of  a 
grave  nature.  Thus  a  perquisite  of  the  storekeeper 
was  to  buy  at  one  rate  of  exchange  of  silver  money 
and  to  sell  at  another  rate,  by  which  he  gained  a 
commission  of  nearly  eightpence  in  the  pound.  The 
victualler  was  allowed  to  require  a  few  pounds  over- 
weight in  every  bag  of  grain  that  the  Company 
purchased  from  a  farmer,  and  to  place  the  surplus 
to  his  own  credit.  The  police  magistrate,  as  his 
perquisite,  kept  half  the  fines  which  he  inflicted  for 
contravention  of  simple  regulations  as  well  as  for 
crimes.  The  governor  himself  and  the  officer  second 
in  rank  had  as  perquisites  a  fixed  sum  deducted  from 
the  purchase  amount  of  every  cask  of  wine  brought 
to  the  Company's  stores. 

But  as  this  was  the  established  order  of  things,  the 
colonists  submitted  to  it  without  complaint.  Some- 
times they  grumbled  about  bad  seasons,  or  the 
destruction  of  their  crops  by  locusts,  or  the  low 
prices  given  for  farm  produce  ;  and  cattle  diseases 
of  one  kind  or  other  often  caused  them  much  loss. 
When  foreign  vessels  were  in  Table  Bay,  too,  there 
was  always  much  dissatisfaction  if  the  Company 
required  anything  that  was  saleable  at  a  large  profit. 
There  was  never  any  distress,  however,  through  want 
of  the  necessaries  of  life,  nor  was  there  any  inter- 
ference by  the  government  with  the  recognised  rights 
of  the  people. 

Experiments  in  the  cultivation  of  various  plants 


76  CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1700  TO  175O. 


were  frequently  made  by  order  of  the  directors,  in 
the  hope  of  finding  something  beside  wheat  and  wine 
that  would  pay  the  farmers  to  grow  and  the  Company 
to  export.  The  olive  was  tried  again  and  again,  but 
always  without  success.  Tobacco,  indigo,  and  flax 
were  also  fruitlessly  experimented  with.  Great  expec- 
tations were  once  raised  by  the  production  of  eight 
pounds  of  raw  silk,  but  that  also  proved  a  failure,  as 
the  returns  were  so  trifling  that  people  would  have 
nothing  to  do  with  it. 

In  the  winter  season  Table  Bay  was  unsafe,  being 
exposed  to  the  fury  of  north-west  gales,  and  the 
Company  had  often  sustained  heavy  losses  by  ship- 
wreck there.  Thus,  in  a  terrible  gale  during  the 
night  of  the  16th  of  June  1722  seven  Dutch  and 
three  English  vessels  were  driven  ashore,  and  six 
hundred  and  sixty  men  were  drowned.  On  this 
occasion  property  valued  at  nearly  £250,000  was 
destroyed.  And  on  the  21st  of  May  1737  nine 
vessels  belonging  to  the  Company  were  wrecked,  and 
two  hundred  and  eight  lives  were  lost.  The  cost 
price  of  the  cargo  alone  which  was  strewn  on  the 
beach  was  £160,000. 

These  and  many  other  disasters  caused  the 
directors  to  issue  orders  that  a  mole  should  be 
constructed  in  Table  Bay,  so  as  to  form  a  safe 
harbour,  and  in  the  meantime  their  ships  were  to 
refresh  at  Simon's  Bay  from  the  15th  of  May  to  the 
15th  of  August,  the  season  when  gales  from  the 
north-west  are  common.  Simon's  Bay  offered  secure 
shelter  during  the  winter  season,  but  there  was  a 
drawback  to  its  use  in  difficulty  of  access  by  land, 


EFFORT  TO  IMPROVE  TABLE  BAY. 


11 


which  made  the  supplying  a  ship  with  fresh  provisions 
very  expensive.  In  1742  it  was  first  used  as  a  port 
of  call.  A  village  then  sprang  up  on  its  southern 
shore,  which  received  the  name  Simonstown. 

The  mole  in  Table  Bay  was  commenced  in 
February  1743.  As  it  was  held  to  be  a  work  of 
importance  to  the  colony  as  well  as  to  the  Company, 
a  tax  was  levied  upon  all  the  white  people  in  the 
settlement.  Those  in  the  Cape  peninsula  were 
assessed  at  the  labour  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-three 
stout  slaves  for  two  months  in  the  year,  and  those  in 
the  country  at  ,£293  in  money  or  provisions.  All 
the  Company's  slaves  and  all  the  waggons  and  cattle 
that  could  be  spared  from  other  work  were  employed 
upon  the  mole.  A  strong  gang  of  convicts  was  sent 
from  Batavia  to  assist  in  its  construction.  By  the 
close  of  1746  it  was  three  hundred  and  fifty-one  feet 
in  length  from  the  shore,  but  the  work  was  then 
stopped.  The  convicts  from  Java  had  nearly  all  died 
from  change  of  climate  and  excessive  fatigue,  and 
the  burghers  declared  that  they  could  not  pay  their 
quota  any  longer.  The  expense  was  found  to  be 
beyond  the  means  of  the  Company,  though  it  was 
believed  that  if  the  work  could  be  completed  Table 
Bay  would  be  a  perfectly  safe  harbour.  The  base  of 
the  mole  is  still  to  be  seen  like  a  reef  running  out 
from  the  shore,  and  its  site  is  called  Mouille  Point 
on  that  account  to  the  present  day. 

By  this  time  the  settlement  extended  so  far  that 
it  was  considered  necessary  to  provide  two  more 
churches  in  the  parts  most  thickly  populated  and  a 
court  of  iustice  for  the  colonists  on  the  frontier.  In 


GROWTH  OF  THE  SETTLEMENT. 


79 


1743  a  clergyman  was  stationed  at  Roodezand,  now 
the  village  of  Tulbagh,  and  a  church  was  established 
there.  Two  years  later  a  clergyman  and  a  school- 
master were  appointed  to  Zwartland,  and  went  to 
reside  at  the  warm  bath,  the  site  of  the  present 
village  of  Malmesbury.  In  1745  a  landdrost  was 
stationed  at  a  place  thereafter  known  as  the  village 
of  Swellendam,  and  a  board  of  heemraden  was  ap- 
pointed, just  as  at  Stellenbosch.  A  dividing  line  was 
laid  down  between  the  districts  of  Stellenbosch  and 
Swellendam,  and  also  between  the  Cape  and  Stellen- 
bosch, but  on  the  north  and  the  east  the  boundary 
was  declared  to  be  "  where  the  power  of  the  honour- 
able Company  ends." 


VIII. 


COURSE  OF   EVENTS   IN    THE   CAPE   COLONY  FROM 
I750  TO  1785. 

FROM  175  i  to  1771  the  colony  was  governed  by 
Ryk  Tulbagh,  a  man  of  very  high  moral  character 
and  considerable  ability,  who  had  risen  by  merit 
alone  from  the  humblest  position  in  the  Company's 
service.  Though  two  great  troubles  fell  upon  the 
country  within  this  period,  it  was  always  regarded  by 
the  old  colonists  as  the  brightest  time  during  Dutch 
rule  in  South  Africa.  The  governor  was  firm,  but 
just  and  benevolent,  and  was  so  beloved  that  he  was 
commonly  called  Father  Tulbagh. 

One  of  the  troubles  referred  to  was  an  outbreak  of 
small-pox,  that  terrible  scourge  having  been  intro- 
duced at  the  beginning  of  the  winter  of  1755  by  a 
homeward-bound  fleet  from  Ceylon.  At  first  it  was 
supposed  to  be  a  kind  of  fever,  but  after  a  few  days 
there  were  cases  that  admitted  of  no  doubt.  It 
assumed,  however,  various  forms,  and  among  some  of 
the  distant  Hottentot  tribes  differed  in  appearance  so 
much  from  what  was  held  to  be  true  small-pox  that 
the  Europeans  termed  it  gall  sickness. 


SECOND  OUTBREAK  OF  SMALL-POX.  8l 

In  Capetown  hardly  a  single  adult  who  was 
attacked  recovered.  In  July  the  weather  was  colder 
than  usual,  and  during  that  month  over  eleven 
hundred  persons  perished.  If  that  death  rate  had 
continued,  before  the  close  of  the  year  there  would 
have  been  no  one  left,  but  as  soon  as  the  warm 
weather  set  in  the  disease  became  milder.  Two  great 
hospitals  were  opened  :  one  for  poor  Europeans, 
supported  by  church  funds,  the  other  for  blacks.  To 
the  latter  all  slaves  who  were  attacked  were  sent,  the 
expense  being  borne  by  their  owners.  Those  who 
recovered  were  employed  as  nurses.  In  Capetown 
from  the  beginning  of  May  to  the  end  of  October 
nine  hundred  and  sixty-three  Europeans  and  eleven 
hundred  and  nine  blacks  died. 

In  the  country  the  white  people  did  not  suffer  very 
severely,  as  they  kept  so  secluded  on  their  farms  that 
for  several  months  hardly  a  waggon  load  of  produce 
was  taken  to  town  for  sale.  The  government  excused 
the  muster  of  the  burghers  for  drill,  and  even  the 
services  in  the  churches  were  not  attended  by  people 
from  a  distance. 

With  the  Hottentot  tribes  that  escaped  on  the 
former  occasion  the  disease  created  fearful  havoc. 
Not  one  was  left  unscathed,  except  the  Korana  along 
the  Orange  and  its  branches.  On  the  coast  north- 
ward to  Walfish  Bay  and  eastward  until  Bantu  were 
reached,  the  tribes  as  such  were  utterly  destroyed. 
The  individuals  that  remained  were  thereafter 
blended  together  under  the  general  name  of  Hot- 
tentots, and  their  old  distinguishing  titles  became 
lost  even  among  themselves. 

7 


82 


CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1750  TO  1785. 


How  far  the  disease  extended  among  the  Bantu 
cannot  be  stated  with  certainty.  These  people  had 
pushed  their  outposts  as  far  westward  as  the  Keis- 
kama,  and  at  least  one  Hottentot  tribe — the  Damaqua 
— had  been  incorporated  by  them,  while  another — 
the  Gonaqua  —  was  beginning  to  be  assimilated. 
According  to  Tembu  traditions  the  territory  between 
the  Kei  and  the  Bashee  was  almost  depopulated  by 
the  small-pox,  and  the  clans  between  the  Kei  and 
the  Keiskama  must  have  suffered  severely,  but  to 
what  extent  those  beyond  the  Bashee  were  affected 
is  not  known. 

The  other  trouble  was  a  depression  in  the  price  of 
agricultural  produce,  especially  of  wine,  that  brought 
the  colonists  to  the  verge  of  bankruptcy.  The 
Company  had  been  in  the  habit  of  purchasing  a 
considerable  quantity  of  wine  for  sale  and  consump- 
tion in  India,  where  it  was  served  out  instead  of 
spirits  to  the  soldiers  and  sailors,  but  so  many  com- 
plaints were  made  about  its  quality  that  in  1755  its 
use  there  was  nearly  abandoned.  By  some  chance 
just  at  this  time  very  few  foreign  ships  put  into  Table 
Bay,  so  that  the  market  was  glutted  with  produce  for 
which  there  was  no  demand.  Prices  fell  lower  than 
had  ever  been  known  before,  and  the  farmers  saw 
nothing  but  ruin  before  them. 

But  South  Africa  has  always  been  a  country  of 
sudden  reversions  from  adversity.  In  this  instance 
matters  were  at  their  worst  when  in  December  1758 
a  large  fleet  of  French  men-of-war  and  transports 
with  troops  arrived  from  Mauritius,  purposely  to 
refresh  and  lay  in  a  supply  of  provisions.    At  once 


EXPLORATION  OF  NAM  AQUA  LAND. 


83 


the  price  of  produce  doubled  or  trebled,  and  all  the 
surplus  stock  was  disposed  of.  There  was  then  war 
between  Great  Britain  and  France,  and  the  repre- 
sentatives of  both  nations  in  India  soon  came  to 
look  upon  the  Cape  Colony  as  a  convenient  source 
of  supply.  The  officers  of  French  packets  from 
Mauritius  and  of  English  packets  from  St.  Helena 
bid  against  each  other  in  Capetown  for  cattle  and 
meal  and  wine,  so  that  until  March  1763,  when 
tidings  of  the  conclusion  of  peace  were  received,  the 
farmers  enjoyed  unusual  prosperity. 

During  Mr.  Tulbagh's  administration  some  pre- 
viously unexplored  parts  of  the  country  were  care- 
fully examined.  One  expedition  travelled  along  the 
coast  eastward  to  the  Kei,  and  in  returning  kept  as 
close  as  possible  to  the  foot  of  the  Amatola  mountains 
and  the  Winterberg.  West  of  the  Tyumie  river  this 
party  found  no  inhabitants  except  Bushmen.  A 
botanist  who  was  with  the  expedition  brought  back 
many  specimens  of  plants  then  strange  to  Europeans, 
which  he  afterwards  cultivated  in  the  garden  in  Cape- 
town. Another  exploring  party  made  its  way  far 
into  Great  Namaqualand.  Among  its  spoils  was  the 
skin  of  a  giraffe,  an  animal  that  never  roamed  south 
of  the  Orange  river,  and  consequently  was  unknown 
to  the  colonists.  The  skin  was  sent  by  Governor 
Tulbagh  to  the  museum  of  Leiden,  together  with 
many  specimens  of  the  animals  and  plants  of  South 
Africa. 

Capetown  at  this  time  contained  six  or  seven 
thousand  inhabitants,  rather  more  than  half  of  whom 
were  slaves.     It  had  but  one  church  building,  but 


VILLAGES  IN  THE  COLONY. 


s5 


there  were  three  clergymen.  The  houses  were  com- 
modious, though  commonly  but  one  story  in  height. 
In  front  of  each  was  an  elevated  terrace,  called  a 
stoep,  on  which  the  inhabitants  lounged  in  the 
evenings.  In  the  principal  streets  were  miniature 
canals,  that  served  for  drainage  purposes,  and  along 
which  were  rows  of  trees  as  in  the  Netherlands. 
The  town  was  patrolled  at  night  by  a  burgher 
watch.  The  watchhouse,  built  while  Mr.  Tulbagh 
was  governor,  is  still  standing,  and  now  serves  as 
municipal  offices. 

The  village  of  Stellenbosch  had  grown  to  be  a  very 
pretty  place,  and  was  quite  embowered  with  oak  trees 
and  rose  hedges.  It  was  a  custom  for  old  people  to 
live  there,  so  as  to  be  near  the  church  and  to  provide 
homes  for  their  grandchildren  attending  school,  while 
men  and  women  in  the  prime  of  life  were  occupied  in 
their  vineyards  or  on  their  farms. 

Simonstown  contained  several  large  buildings  be- 
longing to  the  Company,  but  had  not  many  private 
residences  of  much  importance.  Most  of  the  families, 
indeed,  moved  to  Capetown  for  the  summer,  and  the 
place  was  then  almost  deserted. 

Swellendam  and  Paarl  were  mere  hamlets,  con- 
sisting of  large  gardens,  orchards,  and  vineyards 
along  a  single  street.  Both  were  in  charming 
situations  as  far  as  scenery  was  concerned,  and  their 
beauty  was  increased  by  a  row  of  oak  trees  on  each 
side  of  the  road.  Swellendam  had  no  clergyman, 
but  was  provided  with  a  school,  and  the  teacher 
conducted  religious  services.  Its  most  prominent 
building  was  the  drostdy,  as  the  courthouse  and 


86  CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1750  TO  1785. 

residence  of  the  landdrost  was  termed.  The  clergy- 
man of  the  Drakenstein  congregation  resided  at 
Paarl,  and  the  church  building  was  there.  The 
hamlet  had  a  school,  but  no  courthouse,  as  it  was 
within  the  magistracy  of  Stellenbosch. 

While  Mr.  Tulbagh  was  governor  the  colonists 
spread  out  eastward  to  the  Little  Fish  river  and 
northward  to  the  head  waters  of  many  of  the  streams 
that  flow  into  the  Orange.  They  did  not  indeed 
occupy  one-tenth  of  all  the  land  embraced  within 
these  limits,  but  they  took  possession  of  the  choicest 
spots  for  grazing  cattle,  and  went  beyond  extensive 
tracts  that  were  less  suited  to  their  needs. 

Governor  Tulbagh  died  in  1 771.  His  successor, 
Mr.  Joachim  van  Plettenberg,  was  a  man  of  very 
different  character.  He  was  not  devoted  to  money 
making  like  Wilhem  Adrian  van  der  Stel,  but  he 
allowed  his  subordinates  to  do  what  they  pleased, 
and  many  of  them  were  not  ashamed  to  resort  to 
nefarious  practices  to  increase  their  possessions.  In 
consequence  the  residents  in  Capetown  and  the 
burghers  who  lived  by  agriculture  were  soon  in 
a  state  of  unrest.  The  graziers,  who  seldom  came 
in  contact  with  an  official,  were  much  less  subject  to 
oppressive  treatment,  and  in  general  did  not  concern 
themselves  much  with  what  went  on  at  the  seat  of 
government. 

In  1778  the  governor  made  a  tour  through  the 
colony.  On  the  Zeekoe  river,  near  the  present 
village  of  Colesberg,  he  set  up  a  beacon  to  mark  the 
extent  of  his  journey  and  the  north-eastern  limit  of 
the  colony.    When  returning  to  Capetown  by  another 


TOUR  OF  GOVERNOR  VAN  PLETTENBERG.  87 

route,  he  inspected  the  bay  which  still  bears  his 
name,  and  caused  another  beacon  to  be  erected  there. 
At  Willem  Prinsloo's  farm  on  the  Little  Fish  river, 
the  site  of  the  present  village  of  Somerset  East,  the 
governor  stayed  several  days.  There  the  frontier 
graziers  and  hunters  assembled  to  meet  him  and 
make  him  acquainted  with  their  condition  and  wants. 
Their  principal  requests  were  very  commendable,  for 
what  they  desired  most  earnestly  was  that  a  magis- 
trate and  a  clergyman  might  be  stationed  with  them. 
The  governor  forwarded  a  report  of  this  interview  to 
the  directors,  with  a  recommendation  that  the  desires 
of  the  frontiersmen  should  be  complied  with.  The 
result  was  that  in  1786  a  landdrost — as  head  of  a  new 
district — was  stationed  at  a  place  which  received  the 
name  Graaff-Reinet,  and  soon  afterwards  a  clergyman 
went  to  reside  there. 

From  Prinsloo's  farm  Governor  Van  Plettenberg 
sent  messengers  to  invite  the  nearest  Bantu  chiefs  to 
visit  him.  The  Bantu  tribe  farthest  in  advance  was 
the  Kosa,  and  some  of  its  clans  were  then  living  on 
the  Tyumie  and  Kat  rivers,  while  nearer  the  sea  the 
remnant  of  the  Gonaqua  tribe  of  Hottentots,  whose 
territory  was  between  the  Fish  river  and  the  Keis- 
kama,  had  by  mixture  of  blood  become  practically 
incorporated  with  it.  Several  of  the  chiefs  accepted 
the  governor's  invitation,  and  a  friendly  conference 
took  place,  at  which  it  was  arranged  that  the  lower 
course  of  the  Fish  river  should  be  a  dividing  line 
between  the  Bantu  and  the  Europeans.  In  Novem- 
ber 1780  this  agreement  was  formally  sanctioned  by 
the  council,  and  thereafter  for  many  years  the  lower 


88  CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1750  TO  1785. 


Fish  river  was  regarded  as  the  eastern  boundary  of 
the  colony. 

On  the  northern  border  the  struggle  between  the 
colonists  and  the  Bushmen  was  incessant.  The  wild 
people  had  been  obliged  to  retire  before  the  ad- 
vancing wave  of  colonisation,  and  they  seemed  now 
to  be  massed  in  the  mountains  bordering  the  great 
plain  south  of  the  Orange  river,  while  the  graziers 
were  scattered  over  the  choicest  pastures  along  the 
same  range.  Horned  cattle,  sheep,  and  goats  were 
driven  off  in  hundreds  together,  the  herdsmen  were 
murdered,  and  from  several  places  the  Europeans 
were  obliged  to  retire.  In  May  1774  a  commandant 
was  appointed  for  the  northern  border,  and  a  plan 
was  made  to  eject  the  Bushmen  from  their  strong- 
holds and  restore  the  farmers  to  the  places  from 
which  they  had  been  driven. 

At  the  beginning  of  summer  a  combined  force  of 
burghers,  half-breeds,  and  Hottentots,  in  three  divi- 
sions acting  in  concert,  took  the  field.  The  country 
for  more  than  three  hundred  miles  along  the  great 
mountain  range  was  scoured,  and  all  the  Bushmen 
found  who  would  not  surrender  were  shot.  Accord- 
ing to  the  reports  furnished  to  the  government,  five 
hundred  and  three  were  killed  and  two  hundred  and 
thirty-nine  taken  prisoners.  Some  of  these  were 
afterwards  released,  and  others  were  bound  to  the 
farmers  for  a  term  of  years. 

It  was  hoped  that  this  punishment  would  deter  the 
Bushmen  from  thieving,  but  it  had  no  such  effect. 
They  became  even  more  troublesome  than  before,  and 
it  was  with  difficulty  that  the  graziers  held  their  own. 


FIRST  KAFFIR  WAR. 


89 


Another  enemy  also  had  now  to  be  reckoned  with, 
for  the  extension  of  the  settlement  had  brought  the 
Europeans  face  to  face  with  the  Kosas,  a  people  who 
might  be  called  civilised  when  compared  with  Bush- 
men, but  who  were  almost  as  expert  stock-lifters. 
The  arrangement  made  by  Governor  Van  Plettenberg 
and  the  chiefs  who  met  him  at  Prinsloo's  farm  was 
not  observed  for  a  single  year.  In  1779  several  Kosa 
clans  crossed  the  Fish  river  and  spread  themselves 
over  the  present  districts  of  Albany  and  Bathurst. 
They  said  they  did  not  want  to  quarrel  with  the 
Europeans,  and  to  prove  the  truth  of  their  assertions 
they  murdered  a  number  of  Hottentots  and  took 
their  cattle,  without  molesting  the  colonists.  But 
shortly  they  began  to  drive  off  the  herds  of  the 
white  people  also,  and  in  September  1779  the  far- 
mers of  the  invaded  districts,  together  with  those 
along  the  right  bank  of  the  Bushman's  river,  were 
obliged  to  withdraw  to  a  place  of  safety. 

Two  commandos  took  the  field  against  the  intru- 
ders. The  Kosas  were  attacked  and  defeated  on 
several  occasions,  but  they  were  not  entirely  driven 
to  their  own  side  of  the  Fish  river.  In  the  winter 
those  who  were  supposed  to  have  been  subdued 
crossed  again  into  the  colony,  together  with  many 
others,  and  it  became  evident  that  a  grand  effort 
must  be  made  to  expel  them. 

The  government  then  appointed  a  farmer  named 
Adrian  van  Jaarsveld  commandant  of  the  eastern 
frontier.  He  gave  the  Kosas  notice  that  they  must 
retire  at  once,  or  he  would  shoot  them.  One  of  the 
clans  thought  it  prudent  to  remove,  and  was  therefore 


go  CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1750  TO  1785. 


not  molested,  but  the  others  remained  where  they 
were. 

The  commandant  thereupon  collected  all  the 
European  and  Hottentot  families  of  the  frontier  in 
a  couple  of  lagers  formed  by  drawing  up  waggons 
in  a  circle  and  filling  the  spaces  between  the  wheels 
with  thorn  trees.  Leaving  a  few  men  to  defend 
these  camps,  with  ninety- two  burghers  and  forty 
Hottentots,  all  mounted  and  well  armed,  he  fell  upon 
the  Kosas  and  smote  them  hip  and  thigh.  He  was 
in  the  field  less  than  two  months,  and  when  he  dis- 
banded his  force  there  was  not  a  Kosa  west  of  the 
Fish  river,  and  the  first  Kaffir  war  was  over. 

While  the  colony  was  in  a  state  of  disaffection  and 
confusion,  owing  to  misgovernment  and  strife  with 
barbarians,  tidings  were  received — March  1781 — that 
Great  Britain  had  declared  war  against  the  Nether- 
lands, and  that  the  republic  was  in  alliance  with 
France.  The  East  India  Company  at  this  time  was 
declining  in  prosperity,  and  wras  unable  to  maintain  a 
large  garrison  in  this  country,  where  its  yearly  outlay 
was  greater  by  about  ,£25,000  than  its  income. 
Practically,  therefore,  Capetown  was  almost  defence- 
less, and  Great  Britain  had  cast  a  covetous  eye  upon 
it  as  a  half-way  station  to  the  great  empire  she  was 
building  up  in  Hindostan. 

As  soon  as  war  was  proclaimed,  an  English  fleet 
with  a  strong  body  of  troops  was  despatched  under 
Commodore  George  Johnstone  to  seize  the  colony, 
but  the  object  of  the  expedition  was  made  known  to 
the  French  government  by  a  spy,  and  a  squadron 
was  hastily  fitted  out  to  thwart  it.    Pierre  Andre  de 


ARRIVAL  OF  FRENCH  TROOPS. 


Suffren,  in  later  years  vice-admiral  of  France,  was  in 
command  of  the  French  ships. 

Commodore  Johnstone  put  into  Porto  Praya  to 
take  in  a  supply  of  fresh  water,  and  anchored  without 
any  arrangements  for  defence,  as  he  believed  his 
destination  was  unknown  to  every  one  except  the 
British  government  and  himself.  One  of  SufTren's 
ships  was  also  in  want  of  water,  so  he  too  steered  for 
Porto  Praya,  and  not  expecting  to  find  the  English 
fleet  there,  made  no  preparations  for  action.  Upon 
rounding  a  point  of  land  he  caught  sight  of  his 
opponent,  and  in  his  ardour  pressed  on  with  only  half 
his  ships  to  secure  the  advantage  of  surprise. 

A  sharp  action  followed,  which  ended  by  the 
French  being  beaten  off,  but  some  of  the  English 
ships  were  badly  damaged.  Suffren  now  pressed  on 
under  all  the  sail  his  vessels  could  carry,  and  upon 
his  arrival  at  the  Cape  landed  a  strong  body  of 
French  troops,  who  speedily  made  the  peninsula 
secure  against  attack. 

As  soon  as  his  fleet  was  refitted  Johnstone  followed, 
but  learning  the  condition  of  things  from  the  crew  of 
a  prize,  he  made  no  attempt  upon  the  colony.  He 
inflicted  great  damage  upon  the  East  India  Com- 
pany, however,  by  seizing  several  richly-laden  India- 
men  that  were  waiting  in  Saldanha  Bay  for  men-of- 
war  to  escort  them  homeward. 

To  the  great  losses  sustained  during  this  war  the 
bankruptcy  of  the  Company  has  usually  been  attri- 
buted, but  it  may  be  doubted  whether  the  corruption 
of  its  officials  in  the  Indian  islands  had  not  as  much 
to  do  with  its  downfall.    As  far  as  South  African 


92  CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1750  TO  1785. 


history  is  concerned,  the  cause  is  immaterial,  the  fact 
remains  that  the  government  of  the  Cape  Colony 
now  found  itself  unable  to  meet  the  calls  upon  it.  It 
tried  to  borrow  money  on  interest,  but  did  not  succeed 
in  getting  as  much  as  it  needed,  and  it  then  issued 
paper  notes  without  any  security  excepting  a  promise 
to  pay  when  possible,  at  the  same  time  declaring 
these  notes  a  legal  tender  for  payment  of  debts. 
Some  of  them  were  redeemed  a  few  years  later,  but 
others  were  afterwards  issued,  and  then  gold  and 
silver  disappeared  from  circulation  and  unsecured 
paper  took  their  place. 

The  disaffection  of  the  colonists  in  the  vicinity 
of  Capetown  towards  the  government  of  Mr.  Van 
Plettenberg  was  openly  and  fearlessly  shown.  In 
1779  they  sent  four  delegates  to  Holland  to  represent 
their  grievances  and  endeavour  to  obtain  redress. 
And  now  for  the  first  time  the  burghers  asked  to  be 
represented  in  the  government,  for  they  had  been 
told  by  travellers  of  the  events  that  had  taken  place 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  and  had  begun  to 
apply  to  themselves  the  political  doctrines  which  the 
young  republic  was  teaching.  They  asked  also  for 
free  trade  with  the  mother  country  and  its  eastern 
dependencies,  and  liberty  to  sell  their  produce  to 
foreigners  without  a  license  from  the  fiscal,  as  the 
chief  law  officer  of  the  colony  was  termed.  The 
practice  of  requiring  a  license  had  grown  from  a 
simple  quarantine  regulation  to  a  source  of  great 
oppression,  as  the  fiscal  would  do  nothing  unless  he 
was  heavily  bribed.  Many  of  the  officials  were  openly 
keeping  shops,  and  the  burghers  asked  that  this 


COMPLAINTS  OF  THE  COLOXISTS. 


03 


should  be  prohibited.  Besides  these  they  had  several 
other  grievances,  most  of  which,  however,  can  be 
summed  up  that  they  desired  closer  connection  with 
Holland  and  less  dependence  upon  Batavia. 

But  matters  in  the  Netherlands  were  not  as  they 
had  been  in  the  time  of  Wilhem  Adrian  van  der 
Stel.  Then  the  East  India  Company  was  prosperous, 
and  had  many  enemies  always  attacking  it  and  bring- 
ing its  transactions  to  light,  so  that  there  was  a 
guarantee  for  the  good  government  of  its  possessions. 
Now  the  Company  was  tottering  to  its  fall,  and  men 
of  all  shades  of  opinion  were  doing  their  utmost  to 
prop  it  up,  as  its  crash  might  ruin  the  state.  The 
directors,  therefore,  did  not  enter  with  alacrity  into 
the  unpleasant  matter  brought  before  them,  though 
they  appointed  a  committee  to  investigate  the  com- 
plaints. This  committee  sent  copies  of  all  the  docu- 
ments received  from  the  delegates  to  the  officials  in 
the  colony  to  report  upon,  and  awaited  the  replies 
without  doing  anything  further.  The  officials  natu- 
rally tried  to  put  their  case  in  as  good  a  light  as 
possible,  and  the  war  gave  them  ample  time  for  con- 
sideration. 

Thus  four  full  years  elapsed  before  the  committee 
sent  in  a  report,  and  then  it  was  to  the  effect  that  the 
charges  had  not  been  proved.  Almost  the  only  relief 
recommended  was  that  the  high  court  of  justice 
should  consist  of  an  equal  number  of  officials  and  of 
burghers.  The  directors  adopted  this  report,  and 
thus  the  efforts  of  the  burghers  to  obtain  redress  were 
so  far  a  failure. 

At  this  time  the  colonists  were  thriving,  and  it  was 


94 


CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1750  TO  1785. 


supposed  by  the  directors  that  they  would  not  make 
much  effort  to  disturb  an  order  of  things  in  which 
money  was  easily  made.  There  had  never  before 
been  such  a  demand  for  produce  as  that  created  by 
the  large  garrison  and  the  French  forces  in  the  East. 
The  Company's  needs  were  very  small  during  the 
war  and  for  some  time  afterwards,  so  that  little  was 
taken  at  low  prices.  Many  new  trading  houses  had 
been  opened  by  burghers.  In  Capetown  there  was 
a  display  of  prosperity  which  astonished  strangers. 
European  and  Indian  wares  in  the  greatest  variety 
were  introduced  in  large  quantities  by  Danish  ships, 
and  though  the  prices  asked  were  very  high,  they 
commanded  a  ready  sale. 

But  the  burghers  of  South  Africa,  though  relishing 
keenly  the  pleasure  of  making  money,  have  at  every 
period  of  their  history  shown  a  firmer  attachment  to 
what  they  hold  to  be  their  political  rights  and  liber- 
ties. If  at  times  a  few  men  have  been  found  to 
waver  between  money  and  freedom  from  misrule,  the 
women  have  never  hesitated  to  reject  wealth  at  the 
price  of  submission  to  wrong.  On  this  occasion 
neither  men  nor  women  were  disposed  to  let  the 
question  rest.  The  government  resorted  to  various 
petty  acts  of  tyranny,  but  the  party  opposed  to  it  grew 
in  strength,  and  resolved  now  to  appeal  to  the  states- 
general. 

The  delegates  were  still  in  Holland,  so  documents 
were  sent  to  them  from  the  colony  to  be  laid  before 
the  supreme  authority  of  the  republic.  But  as  the 
directors  now  announced  that  they  intended  to 
replace  the  principal  officials  with  other  men,  and  to 


AGITATION  IN  THE  COLONY. 


95 


make  a  few  small  changes  in  the  system  of  govern- 
ment and  of  carrying  on  trade,  the  states- general 
declined  to  take  up  the  cause  of  the  burghers  until 
the  effect  could  be  seen.  The  colonists  sent  home 
other  delegates  to  push  their  case,  but  these  quarrelled 
with  each  other,  and  could  therefore  effect  nothing. 
The  agitation  in  South  Africa  did  not  cease,  however, 
until  the  rule  of  the  East  India  Company  came  to  an 
end. 


IX. 


THE  END   OF   THE   EAST   INDIA   COMPANY'S  RULE 
IN  SOUTH  AFRICA. 

THOUGH  the  condition  of  the  East  India  Company 
was  that  of  hopeless  insolvency,  as  was  afterwards 
seen,  the  directors  managed  to  obtain  large  sums  of 
money  on  loan,  and  among  other  expensive  projects 
they  resolved  to  fortify  the  Cape  peninsula  so  that 
it  should  not  again  tempt  an  invader.  With  the 
consent  of  the  states-general  they  sent  out  as 
governor  an  engineer  officer  named  Cornelis  Jacob 
van  de  Graaff,  in  order  that  he  might  direct  the  work, 
and  they  stationed  here  a  large  body  of  mercenary 
troops,  chiefly  German  and  Swiss  regiments  in  their 
pay. 

Colonel  Van  de  Graaff  took  as  little  trouble  to 
restrain  the  officials  from  acting  unjustly  as  his  pre- 
decessor had  taken,  and  the  new  men  were  soon 
as  corrupt  as  the  old.  They  all  knew  that  the  end 
of  the  Company  was  at  hand.  Most  of  them  were 
trying  to  make  as  much  money  as  they  could  before 
the  final  crash,  no  matter  by  what  means,  and  the 

governor,  though  free  of  that  vice,  had  no  scruple  in 

96 


kEtfCLESS  EXPENDl  TURK. 


97 


squandering  the  property  entrusted  to  his  care.  No 
one  at  the  Cape  had  ever  before  lived  in  such  style. 
The  horses,  carriages,  and  servants  at  his  town  and 
country  houses  would  have  sufficed  for  the  governor- 
general  of  India.  There  was  reckless  waste  in  every- 
thing that  he  took  in  hand.  The  public  expenditure 
was  made  to  exceed  the  revenue  by  nearly  ,£92,000 
a  year,  and  though  much  of  this  was  expended  on 
military  works,  more  was  utterly  thrown  away. 

In  1790  the  money  borrowed  by  the  Company  was 
exhausted,  and  as  it  was  impossible  to  raise  another 
loan,  an  immediate  and  great  reduction  of  expendi- 
ture was  unavoidable.  The  spendthrift  governor  was 
recalled,  military  works  of  every  kind  were  stopped, 
and  nearly  the  whole  of  the  troops  were  sent  to 
India. 

The  states-general  now  appointed  a  commission 
to  examine  the  Company's  affairs  and  report  upon 
them,  with  the  result  that  a  supreme  effort  was  made 
to  prevent  a  collapse.  Two  men  of  ability — Messrs. 
Nederburgh  and  Frykenius — were  sent  to  South 
Africa  and  India  with  power  to  reform  abuses, 
increase  revenue,  and  reduce  expenditure.  In  June 
1792  they  arrived  at  the  Cape  and  assumed  control 
of  affairs. 

By  increasing  some  of  the  old  taxes  and  imposing 
new  ones,  the  commissioners  raised  the  revenue  to 
rather  over  £30,000  a  year.  The  white  people  in 
South  Africa  of  all  ages  at  this  time  were  about  fifteen 
thousand  in  number,  so  that  on  an  average  each  paid 
£2  a  year  to  the  government.  With  this  increase  of 
revenue,  and  by  reducing  expenses  in  every  way  that 

8 


98        END  OF  EAST  INDIA  COMPANY'S  RULE. 


seemed  possible,  the  balance  of  loss  to  the  Company 
was  brought  down  to  £27,000  a  year. 

Distress,  consequent  upon  the  reduction  of  the 
garrison  and  an  almost  total  cessation  of  trade,  was 
now  general.  Professedly  to  relieve  it,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  increase  the  revenue,  the  commissioners 
established  a  loan  bank  in  connection  with  the 
government.  Paper  was  stamped  to  represent 
different  sums,  amounting  in  all  to  £135,000,  was 
declared  a  legal  tender,  and  was  issued  through  the 
bank  to  applicants  at  six  per  cent,  interest  on  good 
security.  By  this  means  relief  from  pressure  of  debt 
was  obtained  by  many  landowners  ;  but  the  effect  of 
adding  such  an  amount  to  the  cartoon  money  already 
in  circulation,  with  no  gold  to  redeem  it,  was  highly 
disastrous. 

The  commissioners  redressed  a  few  of  the 
grievances  of  which  the  burghers  complained,  but 
they  made  no  change  in  the  form  of  government. 
They  fixed  the  price  at  which  the  Company  could 
demand  as  much  wheat  as  it  needed  at  about  five 
shillings  the  hundred  pounds,  and  gave  the  colonists 
permission  to  export  the  surplus  to  India  or  the 
Netherlands,  provided  it  was  sent  in  Dutch  ships. 
They  also  threw  open  the  trade  in  slaves  with  Mada- 
gascar and  the  east  coast  of  Africa.  At  the  same 
time  they  forbade  the  landing  of  any  goods  whatever 
from  foreign  vessels.  Trade  with  strangers  was 
restricted  to  the  sale  of  provisions  for  money,  un- 
less special  permission  was  first  obtained  from  the 
government. 

Against  this  order  the  residents  in  Capetown  pro- 


SECOND  KAFFIR  WAR. 


99 


tested  in  the  strongest  language.  "  We  live  from 
God  and  the  foreigners,"  they  said,  "  and  if  the  trade 
is  stopped  we  must  perish."  The  commissioners 
declined  to  cancel  the  regulation,  but  they  were  at 
length  induced  to  suspend  it  for  three  years,  which, 
as  events  turned  out,  amounted  to  the  same  thing. 

The  graziers  on  the  eastern  frontier  were  in  as 
great  trouble  as  the  residents  of  Capetown.  A 
powerful  Kosa  chief  had  recently  died,  leaving  as  his 
heir  a  boy  of  tender  years,  named  Gaika.  The  coun- 
cillors of  the  tribe  selected  Ndlambe,  an  uncle  of  the 
lad,  as  regent,  but  some  of  the  clans  refused  to  sub- 
mit to  him,  and  in  March  1789  they  suddenly  crossed 
the  Fish  river  into  the  colony.  The  farmers  fled 
before  them,  but  were  unable  to  save  the  whole  of 
their  cattle.  The  landdrost  of  GraafT-Reinet  then 
called  the  burghers  of  the  district  to  arms,  and  sent 
an  express  to  Capetown  with  a  request  that  the 
government  would  assist  him  with  a  hundred 
soldiers. 

The  government  decided  that  war  with  the  Kosas 
must  be  avoided  at  any  cost.  A  commission  was 
appointed  to  induce  them  to  make  peace,  and  was 
plainly  instructed  to  purchase  their  good  will.  In 
the  meantime  the  burghers  had  taken  the  field,  when 
the  Kosa  clans,  without  waiting  to  be  attacked,  fell 
back  to  the  Fish  river.  They  were  lying  on  the 
western  bank,  and  the  burghers  were  approaching, 
when  the  instructions  of  the  government  were 
received  by  the  landdrost.  The  commando  was  at 
once  discharged.  Not  a  shot  had  been  fired,  nor  a 
single  head  of  cattle  recovered,  so  the  burghers  were 


100      END  OF  EAST  INDIA  COMPANY'S  RULE. 


indignant  and  almost  mutinuous  when  they  were 
required  to  disband. 

The  commission  then  sought  an  interview  with  the 
Kosa  chiefs,  and  tried  by  means  of  large  presents  and 
smooth  words  to  induce  them  to  retire  to  their  own 
country ;  but  as  this  did  not  succeed,  an  arrangement 
was  made  that  they  might  occupy  the  land  between 
the  Fish  river  and  the  Kowie  during  good  behaviour. 
Of  course  they  attributed  such  a  concession  to  the 
weakness  of  the  white  people,  and  in  a  short  time 
they  sent  out  parties  to  steal  cattle  far  and  wide. 
This  condition  of  things  lasted  four  years,  until  May 
1793,  when  a  reprisal  was  made  upon  a  kraal  by  a 
party  of  farmers.  The  clans  in  the  colony  were  then 
joined  by  many  of  their  tribe  beyond  the  Fish 
river,  all  eager  for  plunder,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
they  spread  over  the  whole  of  the  coast  lands  as  far 
as  the  Zwartkops  river,  burning  the  houses,  driving 
off  the  cattle,  and  murdering  all  the  farmers  that  fell 
in  their  way. 

There  were  fully  six  thousand  warriors  west  of  the 
Fish  river,  and  over  sixty-five  thousand  head  of 
cattle,  taken  from  colonists,  had  been  driven  across 
that  stream.  The  government  therefore  had  no 
option,  but  was  obliged  to  call  out  the  burghers  of 
Swrellendam,  and  attempt  to  drive  the  intruders  back 
and  recover  the  booty.  The  control  of  operations, 
however,  wras  entrusted  to  a  man  who  professed  to 
believe  in  the  guilelessness  of  children  of  nature 
and  who  had  more  sympathy  with  the  Kosas  than 
with  the  Europeans,  so  that  the  campaign  ended  in 
utter  failure.    The  commandant  then  managed  to 


CHURCHES  IN  THE  COLONY, 


101 


get  the  chiefs  to  promise  that  they  would  live  in 
peace  with  the  white  people,  and  upon  this  the 
government  declared  the  second  Kaffir  war  at  an 
end. 

The  burghers  were  naturally  dissatisfied,  but  the 
government  took  no  notice  of  their  request  that  some 
one  in  whom  they  could  have  confidence  should  be 
placed  in  command,  and  the  war  be  prosecuted  until 
the  intruders  were  expelled  from  the  colony.  They 
were  obliged  to  disperse,  and  they  did  so  in  a  spirit 
which  needed  very  little  provocation  to  induce  a 
revolt  against  the  East  India  Company. 

The  Dutch  reformed  still  continued  to  be  the  state 
church,  but  it  was  not  now  the  only  one  in  the 
colony.  In  1780  the  Lutherans  were  permitted  to 
have  a  clergyman  in  Capetown,  and  in  1792  the 
Moravians  founded  the  mission  station  Genadendal 
for  the  benefit  of  the  Hottentots.  This  society  had 
sent  an  evangelist  to  South  Africa  many  years  before, 
and  he  had  met  with  nothing  but  kindness  until  he 
baptized  some  converts,  when  the  government  inter- 
fered, as  in  its  opinion  religious  strife  would  follow 
the  creation  of  a  rival  church.  Now,  however,  more 
liberal  views  were  entertained,  and  the  Moravian 
clergymen  met  with  hearty  encouragement. 

A  great  change  was  taking  place  in  the  Dutch 
reformed  church  itself,  by  the  introduction  of  the 
teaching  usually  termed  evangelical.  The  reverend 
Helperus  Ritzcma  van  Licr,  a  correspondent  of  the 
reverend  John  Newton,  of  Olney,  and  who  was 
imbued  with  the  same  spirit  as  that  celebrated 
clergyman,  created  almost  a  revolution  in  Capetown. 


102      END  OF  EAST  INDIA  COMPANY'S  RULE. 


For  the  cold  formal  services  of  two  or  three  hours' 
length,  which  constituted  the  principal  duty  of  the 
earlier  ministers,  he  substituted  shorter  sermons  and 
prayers,  more  visitation  of  parishioners,  frequent 
meetings  for  religious  purposes,  and  incitement  to 
acts  of  benevolence  and  charity.  At  this  date 
mission  work  among  the  heathen  was  commenced  by 


CHURCH  OF  LAST  CENTURY  IN  CAPETOWN. 

(From  a  Sketch  by  G.  Thompson.) 


the  colonial  church,  and  it  has  ever  since  gone  on 
increasing  in  volume.  At  this  time  also  the  philan- 
thropic labours  of  a  band  of  ladies  in  Capetown 
began,  which  resulted  a  few  years  later  in  the 
establishment  of  an  orphan  asylum,  a  mission  chapel 
and  school,  and  a  fund  from  which  to  the  present 


AFFAIRS  IN  EUROPE. 


103 


day  aged  women  in  poor  circumstances  draw  weekly 
allowances.  The  reverend  Mr.  Vos,  of  Tulbagh, 
belonged  to  the  same  school  of  thought  as  Mr.  Van 
Lier,  and  his  congregation  set  an  example  in  mission 
work,  which  was  shortly  followed  by  others  in  the 
country. 

Western  Europe  was  now  in  the  throes  of  the 
mightiest  convulsion  of  modern  times.  France  had 
become  a  republic.  The  people  of  the  Netherlands 
were  divided  into  two  parties,  one  of  which  was  in 
sympathy  with  the  French,  while  the  other  favoured 
a  stadtholderate  with  very  large  powers  and  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  alliance  with  England  which  had 
existed  since  1788.  The  first  was  termed  the  patriot, 
the  second  the  Orange  party.  An  appeal  to  arms 
was  unavoidable,  and  on  the  1st  of  February  1793  a 
declaration  of  war  with  Great  Britain  and  the  stadt- 
holder's  government  was  issued  at  Paris. 

Upon  tidings  of  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  reaching 
South  Africa,  the  commissioners  formed  all  the  clerks 
and  junior  officers  in  the  civil  service  into  a  military 
company,  which  they  termed  the  pennist  corps,  and 
they  raised  a  company  of  half-breeds  and  Hottentots, 
put  them  in  uniform,  and  set  them  to  learn  to  be 
soldiers.  This  corps  was  termed  the  pandours.  No 
other  means  could  be  devised  of  strengthening  the 
colony. 

Messrs.  Nederburgh  and  Frykenins  then  appointed 
an  old  Indian  official,  named  Abraham  Josias  Sluysken, 
head  of  the  Cape  government,  and  as  soon  as  he  took 
over  the  duty  they  proceeded  to  Java. 

During  1794  the  complaints  of  the  burghers  of 


104      END  0F  FAST  INDIA  COMPANY'S  RULE. 


Graaff-Reinet  were  unceasing  with  regard  to  the  paper 
money,  the  stagnation  of  trade,  the  new  taxes,  and, 
above  all,  the  arrangement  with  the  Kosas  which  the 
authorities  termed  peace.  The  landdrost  took  no 
notice  of  their  statements,  so  they  requested  the 
government  to  recall  him,  but  Mr.  Sluysken  would 
not  even  listen  to  them.  By  this  treatment  their 
patience  was  at  length  exhausted. 

In  February  1795  they  expelled  the  landdrost, 
and  set  up  a  republic  of  their  own.  No  more  absurd 
form  of  government  than  that  which  they  established 
has  ever  existed,  but  it  served  their  purpose.  Adrian 
van  Jaarsveld  was  appointed  military  commander 
of  the  new  state.  The  burghers  declared  that  they 
were  not  in  rebellion  against  the  Netherlands,  but 
that  they  would  be  governed  by  the  East  India 
Company  no  longer.  Mr.  Sluysken  had  no  force  to 
send  against  them,  so  they  had  everything  their  own 
way. 

In  June  the  people  of  Swellendam  followed  the 
example  of  those  of  Graaff-Reinet.  They  too  expelled 
their  landdrost,  declared  themselves  a  free  republic, 
and  elected  a  governing  body  which  they  termed  a 
national  assembly.  In  Stellenbosch  and  in  Capetown 
there  were  many  persons  who  sympathised  with  these 
movements,  though  they  themselves  did  not  proceed 
to  the  length  of  open  rebellion.  It  is  highly  im- 
probable that  the  puny  states  thus  called  into 
existence  could  have  held  their  own  for  any  length  of 
time,  as  their  commerce  could  easily  be  cut  off ;  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  East  India  Company  could 
not  establish  its  authority  over  the  distant  colonists 


ARRIVAL  OF  A  BRITISH  FORCE.  105 


again.  The  country  was  really  in  a  state  of 
anarchy. 

The  troops  in  the  Cape  peninsula  consisted  of  six 
hundred  and  twenty-eight  infantry,  four  hundred  and 
thirty  engineers,  and  two  hundred  and  ten  pandours. 
The  head  of  the  whole  force  was  Colonel  Robert 
Jacob  Gordon.  The  infantry  regiment  was  termed 
the  national  battalion,  though  it  was  composed  of 
men  of  various  countries.  It  was  commanded  by 
Lieutenant-Colonel  De  Lille. 

While  matters  in  South  Africa  were  in  this  condition, 
the  French  were  meeting  with  astonishing  success  in 
Europe.  The  winter  of  1794-5  was  so  severe  that 
towards  the  end  of  January  the  rivers  were  frozen 
hard,  and  their  armies  crossed  into  Utrecht  and 
Gelderland,  compelling  the  English  forces  to  retire 
to  Germany.  The  patriot  party  in  the  Netherlands 
gave  them  an  enthusiastic  welcome.  The  government 
was  changed  in  form,  the  stadtholder  made  his  escape 
to  England  in  a  fishing  boat,  and  the  Batavian 
Republic,  as  the  country  was  now  named,  entered 
into  close  alliance  with  France. 

The  British  government  immediately  fitted  out 
an  expedition  to  seize  the  Cape  Colony,  and  in 
hope  of  facilitating  the  conquest  a  mandate  was 
obtained  from  the  fugitive  stadtholder  requiring  the 
authorities  in  Capetown  to  admit  English  troops 
into  the  castle  and  forts.  In  June  1795  the 
expedition  arrived  in  Simon's  Bay.  Admiral 
Elphinstone  and  Major-General  Craig,  who  were 
in  command  respectively  of  the  sea  and  land  forces, 
presented  the  mandate  to    Mr.  Sluysken  and  the 


FRUITLESS  NEGOTIATIONS. 


council,  who  were  in  entire  ignorance  of  recent 
events  in  Europe. 

With  hardly  an  exception  the  officials  in  South 
Africa  sympathised  with  the  Orange  party,  but  they 
could  not  in  decency  openly  obey  an  order  issued  in 
a  foreign  country  by  a  fugitive  prince.  They  therefore 
made  many  protestations  of  their  duty  to  their  country 
and  of  their  determination  to  resist  an  invading  force 
to  the  utmost,  but  their  actions  did  not  correspond 
with  their  words.  There  was  but  one  way  in  which 
they  could  oppose  the  British  forces  with  any  hope  of 
success,  and  that  was  by  repudiating  the  East  India 
Company  and  declaring  for  the  patriot  faction.  The 
colonists,  almost  to  a  man,  favoured  that  faction,  as 
did  the  engineer  corps  and  the  few  Dutch  soldiers  in 
the  national  battalion.  The  foreign  soldiers  in  that 
battalion  were  disaffected,  owing  to  being  paid  in 
paper  money,  and  would  not  fight  under  any 
circumstances.  But,  with  the  engineers,  from  five 
to  six  hundred  trained  men  were  available,  and  at 
least  two  thousand  burghers  would  have  responded  to 
an  appeal  to  aid  the  patriot  cause.  Rather  than  this, 
however,  Sluysken,  Gordon,  and  De  Lille  were  willing 
to  let  the  English  get  possession  of  the  country. 

A  long  correspondence  with  the  British  officers 
followed,  but  it  ended  in  nothing.  Eighteen  days 
after  the  arrival  of  the  fleet  in  Simon's  Bay  the  Dutch 
abandoned  Simonstown,  and  concentrated  their  force 
at  Muizenburg,  a  very  strong  natural  position  on  the 
road  to  Capetown.  A  fortnight  later  eight  hundred 
English  soldiers  were  landed,  and  were  quartered  in 
deserted  buildings. 


108      END  OF  EAST  INDIA  COMPANY'S  RULE. 


On  the  7th  of  August  General  Craig,  at  the  head  ol 
sixteen  hundred  men,  marched  from  Simonstown  to 
attack  the  Dutch  camp  at  Muizenburg.  That  position 
could  easily  have  been  made  impregnable,  but  little 
or  nothing  had  been  done  to  strengthen  it.  De  Lille, 
who  was  in  command,  did  not  even  attempt  to  defend 
it,  but  fell  back  towards  Capetown  as  the  English 
approached.  He  would  not  resist  the  friends  of  the 
prince  of  Orange,  and  indeed,  shortly  afterwards 
entered  the  English  service.  Some  artillerymen, 
under  Lieutenant  Marnitz  and  some  burghers  made  a 
brief  stand,  but  being  abandoned  by  their  commander 
and  the  national  battalion,  they  were  driven  from 
the  post.  Besides  securing  the  only  obstacle  to  an 
advance  upon  Capetown,  General  Craig  thus  got 
possession  of  the  greater  part  of  the  Dutch  military 
stores  and  of  a  quantity  of  provisions,  which  he  much 
needed.  Two  days  later  three  hundred  and  fifty 
soldiers  arrived  from  St.  Helena  to  strengthen  the 
force  under  his  command. 

Up  to  this  time  the  burghers  believed  that  the 
government  was  in  earnest  in  opposing  the  English, 
and  though  they  had  little  confidence  in  the  military 
leaders  and  none  at  all  in  the  national  battalion, 
nearly  fifteen  hundred  of  them  assembled  in  arms 
and  were  eager  to  defend  the  country.  Even 
Swellendam  sent  a  contingent,  for  the  people  there 
knew  very  well  that  if  the  English  were  masters  of 
Capetown  their  republic  would  not  last  long.  But 
now  a  belief  began  to  spread  that  they  were  being 
betrayed,  and  in  consequence  every  day  some  of 
those  in  arms  left  their  colours  and  returned  home. 


FEEBLE  DEFENCE  OF  THE  COLONY,  log 


On  the  4th  of  September  a  fleet  of  English  ships 
entered  Simon's  Bay  with  three  thousand  soldiers  on 
board,  under  command  of  General  Sir  Alured  Clarke. 
Some  of  them  were  destined  for  India,  but  as  matters 
stood,  they  were  all  landed  and  sent  on  to  Muizenburg. 
On  the  14th  two  columns  were  formed,  together 
between  four  and  five  thousand  strong,  and  marched 
towards  Capetown,  sixteen  miles  distant  by  the  road 
to  be  followed. 

The  Dutch  forces,  military  and  burgher,  under 
Captain  Van  Baalen,  were  stationed  at  Wynberg, 
half  way  between  Muizenburg  and  Capetown.  Some 
burgher  cavalry  tried  to  harass  the  English  troops  on 
the  march,  and  succeeded  in  killing  one  man  and 
wounding  seventeen,  but  the  force  to  which  they  were 
opposed  was  too  strong  to  be  checked  by  any  efforts 
that  they  could  make. 

Van  Baalen  drew  up  his  troops  as  if  he  meant  to 
stand  firm,  but  as  soon  as  the  English  were  within 
range  of  his  guns  he  retreated  with  the  greater  part 
of  the  national  battalion.  The  burghers  cried  out 
that  they  were  being  betrayed  and  sold.  It  was  a 
scene  of  confusion.  One  company  of  infantry  and 
most  of  the  engineers  made  a  stand  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  then  fled  towards  Capetown,  abandoning  the 
camp  with  everything  in  it.  The  burghers,  strongly 
impressed  with  the  idea  that  Mr.  Sluysken  and 
Colonel  Gordon,  as  well  as  the  officers  of  the  national 
battalion,  were  traitors  at  heart,  and  considering  that 
if  they  fell  back  to  Capetown  they  would  be  in  a 
trap  and  must  become  prisoners  of  war,  dispersed 
and  returned  to  their  homes. 


110      END  OF  EAST  INDIA  COMPANY'S  RULE. 


The  council  then  sent  a  messenger  to  the  British 
officers,  requesting  a  suspension  of  arms  in  order  to 
arrange  conditions  of  surrender,  and  at  midnight 
General  Clarke  consented  to  an  armistice  for  twenty- 
four  hours.  Next  morning  General  Craig  met  the 
Dutch  commissioners — Messrs.  Van  Ryneveld  and 
Le  Sueur — at  Rondebosch,  and  after  some  discussion 
articles  of  capitulation  were  agreed  to.  These  provided 
for  the  surrender  of  the  Dutch  troops,  but  the  officers 
were  to  be  at  liberty  either  to  remain  in  Capetown 
or  to  return  to  Europe,  upon  giving  their  word  of 
honour  not  to  serve  against  England  while  the  war 
lasted.  The  colonists  were  to  retain  all  their  rights, 
including  the  existing  form  of  religion.  No  new 
taxes  were  to  be  levied,  but  the  old  imposts  were 
to  be  reduced  as  much  as  possible.  Everything 
belonging  to  the  East  India  Company  was  to  be 
handed  over  to  the  English  officers,  but  all  other 
property  was  to  be  respected.  The  lands  and  buildings 
belonging  to  the  East  India  Company  were  to  be  con- 
sidered as  security  for  the  paper  money  in  circulation. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  Wednesday, 
the  16th  of  September  1795,  fourteen  hundred  British 
soldiers  under  General  Craig  arrived  at  the  castle  and 
drew  up  on  the  open  ground  in  front.  The  Dutch 
troops  marched  out  with  colours  flying  and  drums 
beating,  passed  by  the  English,  and  laid  down  their 
arms,  surrendering  as  prisoners  of  war.  In  the 
evening  General  Clarke  arrived  with  two  thousand 
infantry  and  a  train  of  artillery. 

Thus  ended  the  rule  of  the  Dutch  East  India 
Company  in  South  Africa,  after  an  occupation  of  a 


REVIEW  OF  THE  COMPANY'S  RULE. 


Ill 


little  over  a  hundred  and  forty-three  years.  The 
Company  itself  had  ceased  to  exist  before  the  symbol 
of  its  authority  disappeared  from  the  castle  of  Good 
Hope.  Its  administration  until  a  quarter  of  a  century 
before  its  fall,  though  by  no  means  admirable,  was  as 
just  and  honest  as  that  of  any  English  foreign 
possession  at  the  same  time,  because  it  had  powerful 
opponents  who  kept  a  vigilant  eye  upon  its  proceed- 
ings ;  but  when  that  wholesome  restraint  was  removed, 
its  rule  became  corrupt  and  ruinous.  Yet  none  of  its 
acts  even  then  were  so  unjust  as  prejudice  has  made 
them  appear.  Thus  one  English  writer  of  eminence 
— Sir  John  Barrow — represented  a  regulation  con- 
cerning the  apprenticeship  of  children  of  slaves  and 
Hottentot  women  living  on  farms  as  if  it  applied  to 
the  whole  Hottentot  race,  and  succeeding  compilers 
copied  his  statement  without  question  or  doubt. 
Worse  still,  two  English  commissioners  of  inquiry, 
without  taking  the  trouble  to  investigate  the  matter, 
reported  upon  a  law  concerning  degraded  Hottentot 
women  and  vagrants  in  Capetown  as  if  the  Hottentots 
everywhere  had  been  made  subject  to  its  provisions  ; 
and  their  report  has  been  quoted  again  and  again  as 
proof  of  the  merciless  misgovernment  of  the  East 
India  Company.  Now  that  its  records  are  open  to 
inspection,  such  charges  are  known  to  be  incorrect. 
It  governed  South  Africa  with  a  view  to  its  own 
interests,  its  method  of  paying  its  officials  was  bad, 
its  system  of  taxation  was  worse,  in  the  decline  of 
its  prosperity  it  tolerated  many  gross  abuses  ;  but  it 
cannot  in  fairness  be  accused  of  overbearing  tyranny 
or  cruelty  towards  either  Europeans  or  Hottentots. 


X. 


THE  FIRST  BRITISH  OCCUPATION. 

THE  surrender  of  the  Cape  Colony  to  the  British 
forces  brought  together  two  branches  of  the  same 
race,  for  conquerors  and  conquered  were  of  one  stock. 
Of  all  the  nations  of  Europe  the  inhabitants  of  the 
northern  Netherlands  are  the  closest  in  blood  to  the 
people  of  England  and  Scotland.  During  the  cen- 
turies that  they  had  been  separated,  however,  their 
training  had  been  different,  so  that  many  slight  vari- 
ations had  arisen.  Though  in  the  most  important 
features  their  characters  were  the  same,  each  regarded 
the  variations  in  the  other  as  blemishes,  and  often 
made  more  of  them  than  was  fair  or  honest.  If  this 
can  be  said  of  Englishmen  and  Dutchmen  in  Europe, 
it  can  be  asserted  more  strongly  of  Englishmen  and 
Dutchmen  when  they  first  came  in  contact  in  South 
Africa,  for  in  this  country  circumstances  had  tended 
greatly  to  develop  a  few  traits. 

The  system  of  taxation  had  been  pernicious  in  its 
effects  upon  the  character  of  the  people.  There  were 
exceptions,  but  in  general  the  farmers  had  come  to 
regard  very  lightly  the  giving  in  the  number  of  their 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  COLONISTS. 


113 


cattle  and  the  produce  of  their  lands  at  less  than  a 
third  of  the  true  quantity.  A  man,  whose  word 
under  other  circumstances  might  be  depended  upon, 
in  this  matter  would  utter  deliberate  falsehoods 
without  any  twinges  of  conscience,  and  even  thought 
he  was  justified  in  doing  so  because  the  returns  he 
was  supplying  were  for  taxation  purposes.  This  trait 
in  the  character  of  the  burghers  was  at  once  detected 
by  the  Englishmen  with  whom  they  came  in  contact, 
and  made  a  very  bad  impression. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  habit  of  most  Englishmen 
of  that  time  of  distorting  accounts  of  national  events 
made  an  equally  bad  impression  upon  the  South 
African  burghers,  and  thus  each  regarded  the  other 
as  untruthful. 

The  system  of  perquisites  by  which  the  East 
India  Company's  officials  were  paid  had  caused 
another  ugly  trait  to  be  unduly  developed  in  the 
character  of  many  of  the  colonists.  Accustomed  to 
be  mulcted  of  petty  amounts  in  every  transaction, 
they  had  come  to  consider  it  rather  a  proof  of  clever- 
ness than  an  immoral  act  to  get  the  better  of  those 
with  whom  they  were  bargaining.  It  was  regarded 
as  nothing  more  than  fair  retaliation  to  cheat  the 
government  and  its  officers  whenever  and  by  what- 
ever means  it  could  be  done.  The  tendency  to  dis- 
honest and  deceitful  practices  was  made  much  of  by 
unfriendly  critics,  though  it  was  far  from  general,  and 
at  its  worst  was  not  greater  than  that  of  traders  else- 
where who  sell  a  bad  article  at  the  price  of  a  good 
one. 

The  burghers  were  charged  with  being  very  igno- 

9 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  COLO  X I  ST  S. 


rant.  Excepting  those  in  Capetown,  they  had  hardly 
any  education  from  books,  and  knew  nothing  more 
than  how  to  read,  write,  and  compute  a  little.  All 
had  bibles,  the  psalms  in  metre,  and  the  Heidelberg 
catechism  ;  but  few  possessed  any  books  on  secular 
subjects.  Yet  no  people  on  earth  were  less  stupid. 
They  filled  the  offices  of  elders  and  deacons  in  the 
churches,  of  heemraden  in  the  courts  of  law,  of 
commandants  and  fieldcornets  in  war,  with  as  much 
ability  as  educated  people  in  Europe  could  have 
shown. 

The  colonists  at  a  distance  from  Capetown  were 
described  as  living  in  a  very  rough  style.  Their 
houses  were  small,  poorly  furnished,  and  untidy,  said 
English  visitors.  It  was  true  that  the  frontier  farmers 
did  not  build  large  houses,  for  they  were  constantly 
liable  to  be  plundered  and  driven  away  by  savages. 
As  soon  as  a  district  became  tolerably  safe,  however, 
comfortable  dwellings  were  put  up  by  all  who  had 
means.  The  untidiness  complained  of  was  the  result 
of  the  employment  of  coloured  servants.  The 
ancestors  of  the  colonists  brought  to  South  Africa 
the  cleanly  and  orderly  habits  of  the  people  of  the 
Netherlands ;  but  in  many  instances  families  had 
been  unable  to  sustain  the  effort  of  compelling  their 
servants  to  be  neat  and  clean,  and  had  fallen  into  the 
way  of  letting  things  take  their  course.  But  this  was 
not  peculiar  to  the  Cape  Colony :  it  was  the  case 
wherever  coloured  people  were  employed  as  domestics. 
Mrs.  Stowe's  picture  of  Aunt  Dinah's  kitchen  is  just 
as  faithful  with  the  scene  laid  in  Louisiana  as  if  it 
had  been  laid  in  South  /\frica. 


Il6  THE  FIRST  BRITISH  OCCUPATION. 

The  other  faults  attributed  to  the  colonists  were 
those  of  country  people  all  the  world  over.  They 
were  inclined  to  bigotry  in  religious  matters,  were 
very  plain  in  their  language,  and  loved  to  impose 
marvellous  tales  upon  credulous  listeners.  They 
were  accused  of  indolence  by  some  English  visitors, 
but  that  was  not  a  charge  that  could  fairly  be  made. 
The  man  who  managed  either  a  grain  or  wine  or 
cattle  farm  so  as  to  make  it  pay  had  sufficient 
occupation  without  doing  much  manual  labour. 

On  their  side,  the  colonists  found  just  as  great 
faults  in  the  English  character.  They  pictured 
Englishmen  as  arrogant  above  all  other  mortals,  as 
insatiable  in  the  pursuit  of  wealth,  as  regardless  of 
the  rights  of  others,  and  as  viewing  everything  with 
an  eye  jaundiced  by  national  prejudice. 

And  yet,  with  all  these  harsh  opinions  of  each 
other,  there  was  really  so  little  difference  between 
English  people  and  South  Africans  that  as  soon  as 
they  came  together  matrimonial  connections  began  to 
be  formed.  The  attractions  of  blood  were  stronger 
after  all  than  prejudices  born  of  strife  and  want  of 
knowledge. 

In  the  blemishes  of  the  colonial  character  that 
have  been  described,  there  was  nothing  that  education 
of  a  healthy  kind  would  not  rectify,  and  against  them 
could  be  set  several  virtues  possessed  in  a  very  high 
degree.  The  colonists  were  an  eminently  self-reliant 
people,  and  seldom  lost  heart  under  difficulties.  In 
tenacity  of  purpose  they  were  without  equals.  Their 
hospitality  was  admitted  even  by  those  who  were 
determined  to  see  in  them  nothing  else  that  was 


FIRST  DAYS  OF  BRITISH  RULE. 


117 


praiseworthy,  and  their  benevolence  towards  persons 
in  distress  was  very  highly  developed.  There  was  no 
part  of  the  world  where  a  well-behaved  and  trust- 
worthy stranger  more  readily  met  with  assistance  and 
genuine  friendship. 

Though  the  British  troops  were  in  possession  of 
Capetown,  the  people  of  the  country  districts  were 
not  disposed  to  acknowledge  the  new  authorities. 
The  greater  number  of  the  farmers  retired  to  their 
homes,  declaring  that  they  did  not  consider  them- 
selves bound  by  the  acts  of  the  late  government 
Under  these  circumstances  every  possible  effort  to 
soothe  the  colonists  was  made  by  the  English  com- 
manders. The  people  of  Capetown  were  treated  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  dispel  their  anxiety,  and  they 
were  assured  that  they  would  presently  be  in  the 
enjoyment  of  such  liberty  and  good  fortune  as  they 
had  never  known  before.  Many  of  the  old  servants 
of  the  East  India  Company,  who  were  willing  to  take 
an  oath  to  be  faithful  to  the  king  of  England  as 
long  as  he  should  hold  the  colony,  were  retained  in 
employment,  and  most  of  the  clerks  in  the  different 
offices  were  allowed  to  keep  their  situations. 

The  paper  money  in  circulation  amounted  to  rather 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  million  pounds  sterling,  and 
was  a  source  of  much  anxiety  to  its  holders.  The 
British  commanders  announced  that  it  would  be 
received  at  the  public  offices  at  its  full  nominal  value. 
They  also  abolished  a  very  obnoxious  tax  on  auction 
accounts,  and  substituted  for  the  old  burgher  coun- 
cillors a  popular  board  termed  the  burgher  senate. 
Two  days  after  the  capitulation  they  sent  a  document 


Il8  THE  FIRST  BRITISH  OCCUPATION. 


over  the  country,  in  which  a  promise  was  made  that 
every  one  might  buy  from  whom  he  would,  sell  to 
whom  he  would,  employ  whom  he  would,  and  come 
and  go  whenever  or  wherever  he  chose,  by  land  or  by 
water.  The  farmers  were  invited  to  send  their  cattle 
and  produce  to  Capetown,  where  they  could  sell 
whatever  they  wished  in  the  manner  most  profitable 
for  themselves,  and  the  English  would  pay  for  any- 
thing purchased  in  hard  coin.  They  were  also  invited 
to  send  persons  to  confer  with  the  British  commanders, 
if  there  was  any  matter  upon  which  they  wished  for 
explanation. 

These  measures  had  the  desired  effect  in  the  Cape 
and  Stellenbosch  districts,  and  no  opposition  was 
made  there  to  the  new  authorities.  In  Swellendam 
also,  after  a  short  time,  the  people  decided  to  abolish 
the  republic,  and  to  submit  to  the  English.  An 
attempt  to  hold  out  was,  however,  made  by  the 
burghers  of  Graaff- Reinet,  acting  chiefly  under 
guidance  of  a  man  named  Jan  Pieter  Woyer.  Sup- 
plies of  ammunition  and  goods  of  every  kind  were 
therefore  cut  off  from  them,  with  the  result  that  before 
the  close  of  1796  they  too  were  obliged  to  tender  a 
nominal  submission,  though  they  were  in  hope  that 
before  long  aid  from  abroad  would  enable  them  to 
recover  their  independence. 

Woyer  had  left  the  country  in  a  Danish  ship  bound 
to  Java,  that  put  into  Algoa  Bay,  where  vessels  were 
then  very  rarely  seen.  Six  French  frigates  happened 
to  be  at  anchor  in  Batavia  Roads  when  he  arrived 
there.  The  admiral  sent  one  with  a  supply  of  powder 
and  lead  for  the  Graaff-Reinet  farmers,  but  when  she 


SURRENDER  OF  A  DUTCH  FLEET. 


119 


reached  Algoa  Bay  an  English  ship  of  war  happened 
to  be  there,  and  after  a  short  action  the  frigate  was 
obliged  to  retire.  The  government  of  Java  also  sent 
a  vessel  laden  with  munitions  of  war,  clothing,  sugar, 
and  coffee,  for  the  use  of  the  farmers.  It  was  intended 
that  her  cargo  should  be  landed  at  Algoa  Bay,  but  in 
a  storm  the  vessel  was  so  much  damaged  that  she 
put  into  Delagoa  Bay  to  be  repaired,  and  in  that  port 
was  seized  by  the  crew  of  an  English  whaler  aided 
by  a  few  Portuguese. 

A  fleet  of  nine  ships,  sent  from  Holland  under 
command  of  Admiral  Lucas,  also  failed  in  the  object 
of  aiding  the  colonists  against  the  English.  The 
admiral  put  into  Saldanha  Bay,  and  was  there  caught 
as  in  a  trap  between  a  much  stronger  British  fleet  on 
one  side  and  a  large  British  army  on  the  other.  On 
the  17th  of  August  1796  he  was  obliged  to  surrender 
his  ships  and  nearly  two  thousand  soldiers  and 
sailors,  without  even  an  attempt  to  resist. 

Admiral  Elphinstone  and  General  Clarke  only 
remained  in  South  Africa  a  few  weeks  after  the 
capitulation.  They  then  went  on  to  India,  leaving 
General  Craig  at  the  head  of  the  Cape  government. 
This  officer  did  his  utmost  to  place  English  rule 
before  the  colonists  in  as  favourable  a  light  as  pos- 
sible, and  though  as  a  conqueror  he  could  not  be 
loved,  as  a  man  he  was  highly  respected. 

When  tidings  of  the  conquest  reached  England,  the 
high  authorities  resolved  that  the  Cape  Colony  should 
be  ruled  by  a  man  of  rank,  who  should  have  all  the 
power  held  by  the  governor  and  the  council  under  the 
Dutch  East  India  Company.    A  very  strong  garrison 


120  THE  FIRST  BRITISH  OCCUPATION. 


was  to  be  maintained  in  Capetown,  and  the  officer  in 
command  was  to  act  as  administrator  in  case  of  the 
governor's  death  or  absence. 

Accordingly  the  earl  of  Macartney,  an  old  Irish 
nobleman  who  had  done  good  service  in  India,  was 
sent  out  as  governor,  and  took  over  the  duty  in  May 
1797.  His  administration  was  free  of  the  slightest 
taint  of  corruption,  but  was  conducted  on  very  strict 
lines.  Those  colonists  who  professed  to  be  attached 
to  Great  Britain  were  treated  with  favour,  while  those 
who  preferred  a  republic  to  a  monarchy  were  obliged 
to  conceal  their  opinions,  or  they  were  promptly 
treated  as  guilty  of  sedition.  There  never  was  a 
period  in  the  history  of  the  country  when  there  was 
less  freedom  of  speech  than  at  this  time.  All  the 
important  offices  were  given  to  men  who  could  not 
speak  the  Dutch  language,  and  who  drew  such  large 
salaries  from  the  colonial  treasury  that  there  was 
little  left  for  other  purposes.  An  oath  of  allegiance 
to  the  king  of  England  was  demanded  from  all  the 
burghers.  Many  objected,  and  a  few  did  not  appear 
when  summoned  to  take  it.  The  governor  was  firm, 
dragoons  were  quartered  upon  several  of  those  who 
were  reluctant,  and  others  were  banished  from  the 
country. 

The  free  trade  promised  in  1795  also  came  to  an 
end.  Commerce  with  places  to  the  east  of  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  was  restricted  to  the  English  East  India 
Company,  and  heavy  duties  were  placed  upon  goods 
from  the  westward  brought  in  any  but  English  ships. 
British  goods  brought  from  British  ports  in  British 
ships  were  admitted  free  of  duty.    The  government 


INSURRECTION  IN  GRAAFF-REI NET.  121 


resumed  the  power  to  put  its  own  prices  upon  farm 
produce,  and  to  compel  delivery  at  those  rates  of  all 
that  was  needed  for  the  garrison  and  the  ships  of  war 
frequenting  Simon's  Bay.  The  prices  fixed,  however, 
were  fair  and  reasonable,  and  the  burghers  did  not 
object  to  sell  at  such  rates,  though  among  themselves 
they  spoke  very  bitterly  of  the  arbitrary  rule  to  which 
they  were  subjected. 

In  November  1798  the  earl  of  Macartney  returned 
to  Europe  on  account  of  his  health.  Major-General 
Francis  Dundas  then  acted  as  administrator  until 
December  1799,  when  Sir  George  Yonge  arrived  from 
England  as  governor. 

During  this  interval  there  was  a  petty  insurrection 
by  a  party  of  farmers  in  Graaff-Reinet.  The  arrest 
of  Adrian  van  Jaarsveld  on  a  charge  of  forgery  and 
setting  a  summons  of  the  high  court  of  justice  at 
defiance  was  the  immediate  cause  of  the  outbreak. 
The  old  commandant  was  being  conveyed  to  Cape- 
town for  trial  when  he  was  rescued  by  a  band  of 
frontiersmen,  the  same  who  had  been  the  last  to 
submit  to  British  authority.  A  strong  military  force, 
consisting  of  a  squadron  of  dragoons,  a  regiment  of 
infantry,  and  a  Hottentot  corps,  was  at  once  sent  to 
quell  the  disturbance.  This  was  an  easy  matter,  as 
the  great  majority  of  the  people  of  the  district  of 
Graaff-Reinet  declined  to  aid  the  insurgents,  who 
thereupon  sent  in  a  petition  for  pardon.  The  officer 
in  command  of  the  troops  replied  in  writing  that  they 
must  lay  down  their  arms  before  he  would  have  any 
dealings  with  them,  and  named  a  place  where  they 
could  do  so. 


122 


THE  FIRST  BRITISH  OCCUPATION. 


One  hundred  and  thirteen  men  appeared  at  the 
place  appointed,  and  gave  up  their  arms  to  the  troops. 
There  was  no  promise  of  any  kind  in  the  document 
sent  to  them,  but  they  were  under  the  impression  that 
pardon  was  implied  in  its  terms,  and  therefore  pro- 
tested when  they  were  made  prisoners.  Ninety-three 
were  released  upon  payment  of  fines,  and  the  remain- 
ing twenty  were  sent  to  Capetown,  where  they  were 
placed  in  close  confinement.  Forty-two  others  after- 
wards gave  themselves  up,  and  were  pardoned  ;  but 
seven  of  the  most  violent  fled  into  Kafifirland,  where 
they  were  joined  by  a  band  of  deserters  from  the 
British  army,  and  lived  for  several  years  under  pro- 
tection of  a  powerful  chief.  Those  who  were  sent  to 
Capetown  were  brought  to  trial  before  the  high  court 
of  justice,  when  two  were  condemned  to  death  and 
the  others  to  various  kinds  of  punishment ;  but  with 
the  exception  of  one  who  was  flogged  and  banished 
and  two  who  died  in  confinement,  they  were  all 
released  by  the  high  commissioner  De  Mist  in  1803. 

The  appearance  of  the  pandours  on  the  frontier 
gave  rise  to  a  disturbance  of  another  kind.  Some  of 
the  Hottentots  of  that  part  of  the  country,  seeing 
men  of  their  own  class  in  arms  against  colonists,  very 
naturally  felt  an  inclination  to  aid  them,  and  began  to 
plunder  the  farmhouses  of  guns,  powder,  and  clothing. 
They  shed  no  blood,  however,  and  when  they  had 
secured  what  appeared  to  them  to  be  sufficient  booty, 
they  repaired  to  the  British  camp  with  their  wives 
and  children,  in  the  belief  that  they  would  be  regarded 
as  having  acted  in  a  praiseworthy  manner.  General 
Vandeleur,  the  officer  in  command,  did  not  know 


THE  THIRD  KAFFIR  WAR. 


123 


what  to  do  with  them.  He  allowed  a  hundred  of  the 
young  men  to  enlist  in  the  Hottentot  regiment,  and 
the  others — about  six  hundred  of  both  sexes  and  all 
ages — he  sent  to  Algoa  Bay  with  an  escort  to  wait 
there  until  he  could  receive  instructions  concerning 
them  from  the  government  in  Capetown. 

A  matter  of  much  greater  importance  than  either 
of  these  petty  insurrections  had  unexpectedly  arisen, 
and  was  claiming  all  his  attention.  Gaika,  who  was 
a  boy  at  the  time  of  the  second  Kaffir  war,  had 
recently  attained  manhood,  and  had  then  claimed  the 
chieftainship  to  which  he  was  by  birth  the  heir.  His 
uncle,  the  regent  Ndlambe,  was  unwilling  to  resign, 
and  a  large  party  in  the  tribe  declared  its  readiness 
to  support  him.  Gaika  appealed  to  arms,  and  a 
battle  was  fought,  in  which  he  was  not  only  victorious 
but  had  the  good  fortune  to  take  his  uncle  prisoner. 
Ndlambe  was  carelessly  guarded,  however,  and  in 
February  1799  he  managed  to  escape,  when  with  a 
great  number  of  followers  he  crossed  the  Fish  river 
into  the  colony.  All  the  clans  that  had  been  living 
between  the  Fish  river  and  the  Kowie  since  the 
previous  war,  except  one,  joined  the  powerful  refugee. 
The  white  people  who  were  in  or  near  the  line  of  his 
march  took  to  flight,  some  losing  all  they  had,  others 
who  could  collect  their  cattle  in  time  driving  them  off 
and  leaving  everything  else  behind.  In  a  few  days 
the  invaders  were  in  full  possession  of  the  whole 
country  along  the  coast  to  the  Sunday  river. 

General  Vandeleur  had  no  intention  of  employing 
British  soldiers  against  the  Kosas,  but  as  he  was 
marching  towards  Algoa  Bay,  with  a  view  of  return- 


124 


THE  FIRST  BRITISH  OCCUPATION. 


ing  to  Capetown,  he  was  attacked  by  them  in  a 
thicket  on  the  bank  of  the  Sunday  river.  He  beat 
them  off,  and  then  fell  back  a  little  and  formed 
a  camp  to  enable  a  patrol  of  twenty  men  to  join  him. 
But  this  patrol  had  already  been  surrounded,  and 
after  a  gallant  defence  all  were  killed  except  four 
men  who  managed  to  escape.  The  camp  was  hardly 
formed  when  it  was  attacked  by  the  Kosas,  who 
rushed  on  in  masses  with  their  assagai  shafts  broken 
short  so  that  they  could  be  used  as  stabbing  weapons. 
These  charges  were  met  with  volleys  of  musket  balls 
and  grape  shot,  that  covered  the  ground  with  bodies, 
until  at  length  the  Kosas  turned  and  fled. 

The  general  then  marched  to  Algoa  Bay.  After 
fortifying  a  camp  on  the  Zvvartkops  river,  he  sent 
some  of  his  soldiers  to  Capetown  by  sea,  and  called 
out  a  burgher  commando  to  expel  the  invaders.  The 
Hottentots  who  had  plundered  the  frontier  farm- 
houses were  still  at  the  bay  drawing  rations,  and  he 
thought  it  prudent  to  disarm  them  ;  but  upon  the 
attempt  being  made  they  fled  in  a  body  and  joined 
the  Kosas. 

At  the  beginning  of  June  a  burgher  commando 
assembled  at  the  Bushman's  river,  but  instead  of 
attacking  the  intruders,  General  Vandeleur  tried  to 
persuade  them  to  retire.  Thus  the  farmers  lost  heart 
by  being  kept  waiting,  and  many  dispersed,  while  the 
Kosas  came  to  believe  that  the  white  men  were  afraid 
of  them.  They  and  the  insurgent  Hottentots  then 
overran  and  pillaged  the  country  far  and  wide.  By 
the  close  of  July  twenty-nine  white  people  had  lost 
their  lives,  there  was  hardly  a  house  left  standing  east 


THE  THIRD  KAFFIR  WAR. 


of  the  Gamtoos,  and  nearly  all  the  cattle  were  in  the 
hands  of  the  marauders. 

In  August  a  large  burgher  force  was  got  together, 
and  five  hundred  soldiers  were  sent  to  Algoa  Bay. 
General  Dundas,  however,  was  determined  to  make 
another  attempt  to  come  to  a  friendly  arrangement, 
so  he  proceeded  to  the  disturbed  district  himself,  and 
sent  a  confidential  agent  named  Maynier  to  parley 
with  the  hostile  chiefs.  Six  or  seven  hundred  soldiers 
and  three  strong  divisions  of  burghers  were  in  the 
field.  There  was  nothing  left  within  reach  to 
plunder.  So  when  Maynier  offered  not  to  molest  the 
Kosas  in  the  coast  belt  east  of  the  Bushman's  river, 
if  they  would  promise  not  to  trespass  beyond  that 
territory,  they  readily  pledged  their  word,  and 
accepted  as  a  mark  of  friendship  the  presents  which 
he  offered  them.  To  get  a  parallel  to  either  this 
transaction  or  the  dealings  of  the  East  India  Com- 
pany with  the  Kosas  in  the  previous  war,  we  must  go 
back  in  English  history  to  the  time  of  the  heathen 
Danes.  The  hearts  of  the  farmers  sank  within  them 
when  peace  was  proclaimed,  but  they  were  obliged 
to  abide  by  the  decision  of  their  rulers,  and  thus 
for  a  short  time  there  was  a  kind  of  truce  which 
was  observed  in  an  indifferent  manner. 

Things  remained  in  this  state  for  nearly  three 
years,  during  which  time  the  farmers  of  Graaff-Reinet 
were  in  a  condition  of  great  poverty  and  distress. 
The  depredations  of  the  Kosas  and  Hottentots  were 
then  carried  so  far  that  for  very  shame's  sake  it  was 
necessary  to  renew  hostilities.  A  burgher  force  was 
called  out,  and  placed  under  a  very  brave  and  highly 


126 


THE  FIRST  BRITISH  OCCUPATION. 


respected  farmer  named  Tjaart  van  der  Walt  Some 
success  attended  the  early  operations  of  this  force, 
but  in  August  1802  the  commandant  was  killed  in 
action,  and  the  burghers  then  dispersed.  Five 
months  later  they  were  brought  together  again,  but 
as  the  Kosas  now  asked  for  peace  and  promised  to 
return  to  their  own  country  as  soon  as  possible,  terms 
were  concluded  with  them.  They  and  the  Hottentots 
engaged  not  to  roam  about  and  plunder,  and  the 
Europeans  engaged  to  give  them  time  to  remove 
without  disturbing  them. 

The  government  of  Sir  George  Yonge  was 
thoroughly  corrupt.  It  could  not  indeed  be  proved 
that  he  received  bribes  for  his  own  benefit,  but  he 
could  only  be  approached  through  his  favourites,  and 
they  were  unscrupulous  to  the  last  degree.  In  a 
short  time  so  many  complaints  reached  England 
from  people  of  every  nationality  at  the  Cape  that  he 
was  recalled.  He  left  the  colony  in  April  1801,  and 
upon  his  arrival  in  London  was  tried  by  a  special 
commission  and  disgraced.  Major-General  Dundas 
for  the  second  time  acted  as  administrator,  and  held 
that  office  until  the  restoration  of  the  colony  to 
Holland. 

In  1799  the  first  agents  of  the  London  missionary 
society  arrived  in  South  Africa.  Unfortunately 
almost  from  the  day  of  their  landing  some  of  them 
took  a  more  prominent  part  in  politics  than  in 
elevating  the  heathen,  and  as  they  advocated  social 
equality  between  barbarians  and  civilised  people, 
they  were  speedily  at  feud  with  the  colonists. 

Terms  of  peace  between  Great  Britain,  France, 


128  THE  FIRST  BRITISH  OCCUPATION. 


and  the  Netherlands — then  the  Batavian  Republic — 
were  signed  at  Amiens  on  the  27th  of  March  1802, 
one  of  the  conditions  being  that  the  Cape  Colony 
should  be  restored  to  its  former  owners.  Accordingly 
in  February  1803  a  Dutch  garrison  of  rather  over 
three  thousand  men  replaced  the  British  troops,  and 
General  Dundas  transferred  the  government  to  the 
Batavian  commissioner  De  Mist. 


XL 

THE  COLONY  UNDER  THE  BAT  AVIAN  REPUBLIC. 

The  Cape  settlement  was  now  a  direct  dependency 
of  the  states-general  as  the  governing  body  of  the 
Batavian  Republic,  and  liberal  measures  were  adopted 
regarding  it.  The  executive  power  was  entrusted  to 
a  governor,  who  was  also  commander-in-chief  of  the 
garrison.  For  this  office  Lieutenant-General  Jan 
Willem  Janssens — an  able  military  officer  and  a  man 
of  high  moral  worth — was  selected.  A  legislative 
and  executive  council  was  provided,  consisting  of 
four  members  and  the  governor  as  president.  The 
high  court  of  justice  was  made  independent  of  the 
other  branches  of  the  government,  and  consisted  of 
a  president  and  six  members,  all  versed  in  law. 
Trade  with  the  possessions  of  the  republic  every- 
where was  allowed  on  payment  of  a  small  duty  for 
revenue  purposes.  An  advocate  of  good  standing — 
Mr.  Jacob  Abraham  de  Mist— was  sent  out  as  high 
commissioner,  to  receive  the  colony  from  the  English, 
to  instal  the  new  officials,  and  to  draw  up  such 
regulations  as  he  might  find  necessary,  which,  aftcr 
approval  by  the  states-general,  were  to  be  embodied 
in  a  charter. 

to  129 


130  UNDER  THE  BAT  AVI  AN  REPUBLIC. 

The  1st  of  March  1803  was  observed  as  a  day  of 
thanksgiving  to  Almighty  God  for  the  restoration  of 
the  colony  to  its  ancient  owners.  In  the  morning 
service  was  held  in  all  the  churches,  and  at  noon  the 
commissioner  De  Mist  installed  Lieutenant- General 
Janssens  as  governor.  The  other  officials  also  who 
had  arrived  from  Europe  had  their  duties  formally 
assigned  to  them.  The  landdrosts  and  most  of  the 
clerks  under  the  English  rule  retained  their  posts. 

In  April  the  governor  left  Capetown  to  visit  the 
eastern  part  of  the  colony,  and  ascertain  how  matters 
were  standing  with  the  white  people,  the  Kosas,  and 
the  Hottentots.  At  Algoa  Bay  he  found  a  party  of 
Hottentots  under  the  guidance  of  Dr.  Vanderkemp, 
a  missionary  of  the  London  society  ;  and  for  their 
use  he  assigned  a  tract  of  land  in  the*neighbourhood, 
ever  since  known  as  Bethelsdorp.  Locations  of 
ample  size  were  also  assigned  to  the  Hottentot 
captains  who  had  recently  been  in  arms  against  the 
colonists,  but  with  the  improvidence  of  their  race 
most  of  them  with  their  people  soon  wandered  away 
to  other  parts  of  the  country,  and  the  land  set  apart 
for  their  benefit  was  regarded  as  waste  by  succeeding 
governors.  For  the  time  being,  however,  matters 
were  placed  on  a  satisfactory  footing  with  the  people 
of  this  race  who  had  lately  been  hostile. 

The  governor  then  proceeded  to  the  Sunday  river, 
where  he  had  a  conference  with  Ndlambe  and  the 
other  Kosa  chiefs  who  were  living  in  the  colony. 
The  chiefs,  who  of  course  knew  nothing  of  the  rela- 
tive strength  of  England  and  Holland,  were  under 
the  impression  that  the  Dutch  government  must  be 


DEALINGS  WITH  KOSA  CHIEFS. 


much  more  powerful  than  the  other,  because  it  was 
apparent  to  them  that  it  had  supplanted  its  opponent, 
and  they  knew  that  the  colonists  were  supporting  it 
with  enthusiasm.  The  farmers  were  in  high  spirits, 
and  had  sent  them  word  that  they  must  not  think  the 
old  times  had  come  back  again,  for  the  great  person 
called  the  Batavian  Republic  was  immeasurably 
superior  to  the  poor  creature  John  Company,  who 
had  been  ill  a  long  time  and  was  now  dead.  They 
therefore  expressed  a  desire  for  peace  and  friendship 
with  the  white  people,  and  there  was  no  difficulty  in 
settling  minor  matters  with  them.  But  the  all-im- 
portant question  of  their  return  to  their  own  country 
could  not  be  arranged  so  easily,  for  though  they 
admitted  the  Fish  river  as  the  boundary,  they 
declared  they  could  not  cross  it  through  fear  of 
Gaika. 

Shortly  after  this  the  intruding  clans  began  to 
quarrel  among  themselves.  Two  of  them  joined 
Gaika  in  an  attack  upon  Ndlambe,  but  the  old  chief 
succeeded  in  beating  them  back.  The  Kosas  thus 
remained  in  occupation  of  the  belt  of  land  along  the 
coast  east  of  the  Bushman's  river.  The  other  parts 
of  the  district  of  Graaff-Reinet,  however,  enjoyed  for 
a  season  a  fair  amount  of  tranquillity,  so  that  the 
farmers  were  able  to  carry  on  their  usual  occupations. 

Mr.  De  Mist  also,  like  the  governor,  made  a  tour 
through  the  colony,  in  order  to  become  acquainted 
with  the  condition  and  wants  of  the  people.  The 
settlement  was  previously  divided  for  magisterial  and 
fiscal  purposes  into  four  districts — the  Cape,  Stellen- 
bosch,   Swellendam,  and   Graaff-Reinet, — he  now 


132 


UNDER  THE  BAT  A  VI  AN  REPUBLIC. 


divided  it  into  six  of  smaller  size,  and  stationed 
landdrosts  at  Tulbagh  and  Uitenhage. 

Among  the  many  regulations  which  he  made  was 
one  giving  full  political  equality  to  persons  of  every 
creed  who  acknowledged  and  worshipped  a  Supreme 
Being.  Another  provided  for  the  creation  of  state 
schools,  but  this  was  an  idea  in  advance  of  the  times 
in  South  Africa,  for  the  great  majority  of  the  colonists 
objected  to  schools  that  were  not  in  connection  with 
the  church.  The  country  did  not  remain  long  enough 
under  the  Batavian  flag  to  test  this  question,  but  the 
probability  is  that  state  schools  could  not  have  suc- 
ceeded, as  the  antipathy  to  them  was  so  strong.  Yet 
another  regulation  permitted  marriages  to  take  place 
before  the  landdrosts,  and  required  them  to  be  regis- 
tered in  the  district  courts. 

In  1805  the  European  population  of  the  colony 
consisted  of  between  twenty-five  and  twenty-six 
thousand  individuals,  exclusive  of  soldiers.  They 
owned  nearly  thirty  thousand  slaves,  and  had  in 
their  service  about  twenty  thousand  free  coloured 
people.  It  is  impossible  to  say  how  many  Hottentots 
were  living  at  kraals,  or  Bushmen  roaming  about  on 
the  border,  for  these  people  paid  no  taxes,  and  there- 
fore no  notice  was  taken  of  them  by  the  census 
framers.  Capetown  had  a  population  of  rather  over 
six  thousand  Europeans  and  nearly  eleven  thousand 
persons  of  colour. 

In  May  1803,  less  than  three  months  after  the 
restoration  of  the  colony,  war  broke  out  again  be- 
tween Great  Britain  and  the  Batavian  Republic. 
On  receiving  this  intelligence,  General  Janssens  dc- 


ATTACK  BY  THE  ENGLISH. 


133 


voted  all  his  attention  to  putting  the  Cape  peninsula 
in  a  condition  for  defence.  But  soon  instructions 
were  received  from  Holland  that  he  must  send  his 
best  regiment  to  Batavia,  as  the  mother  country  was 
unable  to  furnish  more  men,  and  troops  were  urgently 
needed  in  Java.  All  that  the  governor  could  do  to 
make  up  for  its  loss  was  to  increase  the  Hottentot 
corps,  which  had  been  transferred  to  him  by  General 
Dundas,  to  six  hundred  rank  and  file,  and  to  form 
the  Asiatics  in  and  about  Capetown  into  a  volunteer 
corps,  termed  the  Malay  artillery. 

No  one  doubted  that  the  English  would  attempt 
to  seize  the  colony  again,  but  a  state  of  suspense 
continued  until  the  last  week  of  1805,  when  tidings 
were  received  that  a  great  fleet  was  approaching. 
Signals  were  at  once  made  to  the  different  drostdies, 
summoning  the  burghers  to  arms,  and  though  the 
heat  was  so  intense  that  they  could  only  ride  at 
night,  hundreds  came  trooping  to  Capetown.  But 
there  were  no  means  of  feeding  them  long  after  they 
arrived,  for  the  two  previous  seasons  had  been  ex- 
ceptionally bad,  and  it  had  not  been  possible  to  lay 
up  a  store  of  grain.  At  this  time,  though  the 
government  made  desperate  exertions  to  obtain 
corn,  there  was  never  more  than  sufficient  flour  in 
Capetown  for  two  days'  consumption  of  the  garrison 
and  the  inhabitants.  Under  these  circumstances  a 
large  force,  however  devoted  to  the  cause  it  was 
striving  for,  could  not  be  kept  together  long. 

In  the  evening  of  the  4th  of  January  1806  the 
fleet — which  consisted  of  sixty-three  ships — came  to 
anchor  west  of  Robben  Island,  at  the  entrance  of 


*34 


UNDER  THE  BAT  AVI  AN  REPUBLIC. 


Table  Bay.  There  were  on  board  nearly  seven 
thousand  soldiers,  under  command  of  Major-General 
David  Baird,  an  officer  who  was  well  acquainted  with 
the  Cape  and  its  fortifications,  having  served  here  in 
1798.  On  the  6th  and  7th  six  regiments  were  landed, 
with  some  artillery  and  provisions,  at  a  little  cove 
about  eighteen  miles  by  road  from  Capetown. 

As  soon  as  it  was  known  that  the  English  were 
landing  on  the  Blueberg  beach,  General  Janssens 
marched  to  meet  them,  leaving  in  Capetown  a  con- 
siderable burgher  force  and  a  few  soldiers  under 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Von  Prophalow  to  guard  the 
forts.  He  had  an  army  rather  over  two  thousand 
strong,  but  composed  of  a  strange  mixture  of  men. 
There  were  mounted  burghers,  Dutch  soldiers,  a 
German  mercenary  regiment,  the  crews  of  two 
wrecked  French  ships,  Malays,  Hottentots,  and  even 
slaves.    He  had  sixteen  field-guns. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  8th  this 
motley  force  was  under  arms,  when  the  scouts 
brought  word  that  the  English  were  approaching. 
Two  hours  later  the  British  troops  came  in  sight  on 
the  side  of  the  Blueberg.  General  Baird  had  with 
him  about  four  thousand  infantry,  besides  artillery- 
men and  five  or  six  hundred  sailors  armed  with 
pikes  and  drawing  eight  field-guns. 

As  soon  as  the  armies  were  within  range,  the 
artillery  on  both  sides  opened  fire.  A  few  balls 
from  the  English  guns  fell  among  the  German 
mercenary  troops,  who  at  once  began  to  retreat. 
The  burghers,  the  French  corps,  the  remainder  of 
the  troops,  and  the  coloured  auxiliaries  behaved  well> 


CAPITULATION  OF  CAPETOWN. 


135 


receiving  and  returning  a  heavy  fire  of  artillery  and 
musketry.  But  the  flight  of  the  main  body  of  regular 
troops  made  it  impossible  for  the  mixed  force  left  on 
the  field  to  stand  a  charge  which  was  made  by  three 
Highland  regiments,  and  by  order  of  General  Janssens 
the  remnant  of  the  army  fell  back. 

The  loss  on  the  English  side  in  the  battle  of 
Blueberg  was  fifteen  killed,  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
nine  wounded,  and  eight  missing.  The  roll-call  of 
the  Dutch  forces  when  the  fugitives  were  rallied 
shows  the  killed,  wounded,  and  missing  together. 
When  it  was  made  that  afternoon  three  hundred  and 
thirty-seven  men  did  not  answer  to  their  names. 
General  Janssens  after  his  defeat  sent  the  foreigners 
in  his  army  to  Capetown,  and  with  the  burghers  and 
Dutch  troops  retired  to  the  mountains  of  Hottentots- 
Holland. 

In  the  morning  of  the  9th  General  Baird  resumed 
his  march  towards  Capetown.  It  was  not  in  Colonel 
Von  Prophalow's  power  to  resist  with  any  prospect 
of  success,  so  he  sent  a  flag  of  truce  to  request  a 
suspension  of  arms  in  order  to  arrange  terms  of 
capitulation.  General  Baird  granted  thirty-six  hours, 
but  required  immediate  possession  of  the  outer  line 
of  defence,  including  the  fort  Knokke  at  its  extremity 
on  the  shore.  His  demand  could  not  be  refused, 
and  that  evening  an  English  regiment  was  quartered 
in  Fort  Knokke. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  10th  articles  of  capitulation 
were  signed.  The  regular  troops  and  the  Frenchmen 
of  the  wrecked  ships  were  to  become  prisoners  of 
war.    Colonists  in  arms  were  to  return  to  their  former 


I36  UNDER  THE  BAT  AVIAN  REPUBLIC 


occupations.  Private  property  of  all  kinds  was  to  be 
respected,  but  everything  belonging  to  the  Batavian 
government  was  to  be  given  up.  The  inhabitants 
were  to  preserve  all  their  rights  and  privileges,  and 
public  worship  as  then  existing  was  to  be  maintained. 
The  paper  money  was  to  continue  current  until  the 
pleasure  of  the  king  could  be  known,  and  the  public 
lands  and  buildings  were  to  be  regarded  as  security 
for  its  redemption.  The  inhabitants  of  Capetown 
were  to  be  exempt  from  having  troops  quartered  on 
them. 

The  force  opposed  to  General  Janssens  was  so 
great  that  he  could  not  hope  to  make  a  long  resist- 
ance, but  his  position  in  the  mountains  of  Hottentots- 
Holland  was  more  favourable  for  obtaining  terms 
than  if  he  had  fallen  back  upon  Capetown  after  the 
defeat  at  Blueberg.  General  Baird  proposed  that  he 
should  capitulate  on  honourable  conditions,  and  on 
the  1 8th  arrangements  to  that  effect  were  made. 
They  provided  that  the  troops  should  not  be  con- 
sidered prisoners  of  war,  but  be  sent  to  Holland  at 
the  expense  of  the  British  government,  and  that  the 
inhabitants  of  the  colony  were  to  enjoy  the  same 
rights  and  privileges  as  had  been  granted  to  those  of 
Capetown,  except  that  the  right  of  quartering  troops 
upon  them  was  reserved,  as  the  country  had  not  the 
same  resources  as  the  town. 

Seven  transports  were  prepared,  and  the  troops — 
ninety-four  officers  and  five  hundred  and  seventy- 
three  rank  and  file — were  embarked  in  them.  One 
of  the  best  was  placed  at  the  disposal  of  General 
Janssens,  who  had  liberty  to  select  such  persons  as 


DEPARTURE  OF  GENERAL  JANSSENS. 


137 


he  wished  to  accompany  him.  Thirty-one  of  the 
civil  servants  under  the  Batavian  administration 
desired  to  return  to  Europe,  and  were  allowed 
passages.  Fifty-three  women  and  the  same  number 
of  children  also  embarked.  All  being  ready,  on  the 
6th  of  March  1806  the  squadron,  bearing  the  last 
representative  of  the  dominion  of  the  Netherlands 
over  the  Cape  Colony,  set  sail  for  Holland. 


XII. 


EARLY  YEARS  OF  ENGLISH  RULE  IN  SOUTH  AFRICA. 

CONQUEST  is  a  grievous  thing  for  any  people,  no 
matter  how  lightly  the  conqueror  imposes  his  rule. 
Apart  from  all  other  considerations,  it  wounds  their 
pride  and  reduces  their  energy,  for  it  is  everywhere 
seen  that  a  man  of  a  leading  race  will  do  without 
second  thought  what  one  of  subject  nationality  will 
never  do  at  all. 

It  was  thus  only  natural  that  the  colonists  should 
feel  dejected  when  the  English  flag  was  again  the 
symbol  of  authority  in  South  Africa.  They  had  been 
ardently  attached  to  the  Batavian  Republic,  and  had 
enjoyed  three  years  of  good  government  combined 
with  ample  liberty  :  now  all  they  had  cherished  was 
gone.  General  Baird,  indeed,  used  the  most  consoling 
language  ;  but  they  remembered  that  General  Craig 
had  done  the  same,  and  a  hard  unsympathetic  rule 
had  followed.  They  saw  all  authority  again  centred 
in  one  man,  for  the  council  was  abolished,  and  the 
independence  of  the  high  court  of  justice  was 
destroyed.  The  members  of  that  court — the  presi- 
dent only  excepted — were  now  ordinary  civil  servants 

138 


POWERS  OF  THE  GOVERNOR. 


139 


who  were  appointed  by  the  governor  and  held  office 
during  his  pleasure.  Even  religious  freedom  came  to 
an  end,  for  a  Roman  catholic  clergyman  who  had 
been  chaplain  to  some  of  the  foreign  troops  in  the 
Dutch  service  was  not  permitted  to  remain  in  the 
colony.  His  expulsion,  however,  was  not  felt  as  a 
grievance,  for,  in  truth,  the  great  majority  of  the 
burghers  desired  his  presence  less  even  than  General 
Baird. 

There  was  one  hope  left,  and  that  rested  on  the 
chance  of  war.  If  Napoleon  should  succeed  in  the 
struggle  with  England,  which  seemed  very  probable 
in  1806,  they  would  once  more  be  connected  with 
their  fatherland.  And  so  in  a  spirit  of  despondency, 
but  not  of  absolute  despair,  they  submitted  to  the 
power  that  they  could  not  resist. 

For  some  time  there  was  fear  of  actual  famine  in 
Capetown.  The  inhabitants  were  restricted  to  a 
small  daily  allowance  of  b'read,  but  with  all  haste 
wheat  and  rice  were  imported  from  India,  and  as  the 
crops  of  the  following  season  were  remarkably  good, 
the  danger  passed  away. 

As  soon  as  possible  the  colony  was  again  placed 
under  the  same  form  of  government  as  during  the 
first  British  occupation,  and  under  the  same  com- 
mercial regulations.  The  earl  of  Caledon,  an  Irish 
nobleman  only  twenty-nine  years  of  age,  was  sent 
out  as  governor  with  very  great  authority,  though  in 
matters  of  primary  importance  he  was  to  act  under 
instructions  from  the  secretary  of  state  in  London. 
He  could  fix  prices  for  any  produce  required  by  the 
army,  and  assess  the  quantity  each  farmer  was  com- 


140  ENGLISH  RULE  IN  SOUTH  AERICA. 


pel  led  to  deliver.  He  directed  and  controlled  the 
different  departments.  His  proclamations  and  notices 
had  the  force  of  law.  With  the  lieutenant-governor 
he  formed  a  court  of  appeal  in  civil  cases  of  over 
,£200  value,  and  with  two  assessors  he  decided  appeals 
in  criminal  cases.  He  had  also  power  to  mitigate  or 
suspend  sentences  passed  by  the  inferior  courts. 

Some  of  the  orders  of  the  earl  of  Caledon,  such 
as  forbidding  the  farmers  of  certain  districts  to  keep 
African  sheep,  read  strangely  to-day  ;  but  though  he 
was  very  strict,  he  was  an  amiable  and  upright  man, 
and  was  guided  in  all  his  doings  by  a  desire  to 
improve  the  country.  His  benevolence  was  almost 
unbounded,  and,  indeed,  his  last  act  when  leaving 
South  Africa  was  to  present  a  thousand  pounds  in 
currency  to  the  orphan  asylum. 

The  most  important  measure  of  his  administration 
had  reference  to  the  Hottentots.  These  people  had 
always  in  theory  been  regarded  as  independent  of  the 
European  government,  and  subject  to  chiefs  of  their 
own  race.  Only  in  cases  where  white  people  or 
slaves  were  concerned  were  they  liable  to  be  tried 
before  courts  of  justice,  and  they  were  neither  taxed 
nor  called  upon  to  perform  public  services  except 
when  of  their  own  accord  they  enlisted  as  pandours. 
In  reality  they  lived  in  a  state  of  anarchy.  Whoever 
believed  that  men  of  all  colours  and  conditions  were 
equal,  the  Hottentots  certainly  did  not.  They  re- 
spected the  poorest  and  weakest  white  man  far  more 
than  they  did  their  own  nominal  chiefs,  for  whose 
authority  they  cared  nothing  at  all.  Many  of  their 
women  formed  connections  with  slaves,  and  the  farmers 


CONDITION  OF  THE  HOTTENTOTS 


were  obliged  to  maintain  them,  or  the  slaves  would 
run  away.  Children  born  of  such  connections  could  be 
apprenticed  to  the  farmers  for  a  certain  number  of 
years,  when  through  their  mothers'  rights  they  became 
free  to  go  where  they  chose.  With  this  exception, 
all  but  those  who  lived  in  Capetown  or  one  of  the 
villages  or  mission  stations  could  assault  or  plunder 
one  another  without  fear  of  punishment. 

As  far  as  land  was  concerned,  there  were  reserves 
set  apart  for  their  benefit  in  the  long-settled  parts  of 
the  country,  and  they  could  use  ground  not  occupied 
by  farmers  anywhere.  But  many  of  them  preferred 
to  live  as  dependents  of  a  white  man,  though  they 
seldom  remained  long  in  the  service  of  the  same 
person.  To  obtain  brandy  and  tobacco  they  were 
willing  to  perform  light  labour  occasionally,  but 
nothing  could  induce  them  to  adopt  a  life  of  regular 
industry.  In  short,  they  had  become  rovers  and 
vagrants. 

The  earl  of  Caledon  issued  a  proclamation  which 
removed  all  vestiges  of  chieftainship  from  the 
Hottentots  in  the  colony,  made  them  subject  to 
European  law,  and  restrained  them  from  wandering 
over  the  country  at  will.  Any  one  found  without  a 
pass  from  a  landdrost  or  an  employer  was  to  be 
treated  as  a  vagabond. 

Certain  missionaries  of  the  London  society  raised 
a  great  outcry  in  England  against  this  proclamation 
and  another  giving  the  landdros:s  power  to  apprentice 
children  of  destitute  Hottentots,  which  was  issued  by 
Sir  John  Cradock  ;  but  no  measures  could  be  devised 
of  greater  benefit  to  the  people  affected.    It  is  true 


142 


ENGLISH  RULE  IN  SOUTH  AFRICA. 


that  some  small  bands,  rather  than  submit  to  control, 
moved  over  the  Orange  river  into  Great  Namaqua- 
land  ;  but  the  vast  majority  of  the  Hottentots  were 
rescued  by  these  apparently  harsh  proceedings  from 
utter  ruin,  if  not  from  extinction. 

In  181 1  Sir  John  Cradock  succeeded  the  earl  of 
Caledon  as  governor.  He  too  was  a  man  of  very 
high  principle,  so  that  autocratic  rule  at  this  period 
was  presented  to  the  colonists  in  its  best  form. 

Ever  since  the  return  of  the  English  the  Kosa 
clans  within  the  colony  had  been  restless,  probably 
because  they  saw  that  the  burghers  were  not  attached 
to  the  new  rulers,  and  in  consequence  were  less 
capable  of  resistance.  They  not  only  sent  out 
plundering  parties  to  drive  off  cattle,  but  they  were 
constantly  taking  more  territory,  and  only  laughed  at 
the  remonstrances  of  the  white  people.  When  Sir 
John  Cradock  reached  South  Africa,  he  found  reports 
awaiting  him  from  the  landdrost  of  Uitenhage,  in 
which  he  was  informed  that  there  was  only  one  farm 
still  occupied  east  of  the  drostdy,  and  that  no  other 
choice  was  left  than  the  expulsion  of  the  Kosas  by 
force  or  the  abandonment  of  the  remainder  of  the 
district. 

A  strong  body  of  burghers  was  therefore  called 
out,  and  some  European  soldiers  with  the  Hotten- 
tot regiment  were  sent  to  the  front.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  John  Graham  was  placed  in  command  of  the 
whole  force.  He  was  instructed  to  try  to  persuade 
the  Kosas  to  retire  peacefully  ;  but  if  they  would  not 
do  so  he  was  to  take  the  most  effectual  measures  to 
compel  them  to  return  to  their  own  country.  Major 


FOURTH  KAFFIR  WAR. 


143 


Cuyler  with  an  escort  of  twenty-five  farmers  and  an 
interpreter  was  therefore  sent  to  the  most  advanced 
kraal  to  hold  a  parley  with  the  chiefs.  Close  to  the 
kraal  some  men  were  observed,  and  the  major  tried  to 
speak  to  them,  but  the  old  chief  Ndlambe  advanced  a 
few  paces  from  the  others,  and,  stamping  his  foot  on 
the  ground,  shouted  :  "  This  country  is  mine  ;  I  won 
it  in  war,  and  intend  to  keep  it."  Then  shaking  an 
assagai  with  one  hand,  with  the  other  he  raised  a  horn 
to  his  mouth.  Upon  blowing  it,  two  or  three  hundred 
men  rushed  from  a  thicket  towards  Major  Cuyler's 
party,  who  owed  their  escape  solely  to  the  fleetness  of 
their  horses. 

There  was  thus  no  alternative  to  the  employment  of 
force.  Everything  was  arranged  for  an  attack  upon 
the  Kosas,  but  before  it  was  made  the  landdrost  of 
Graaff-Reinet  and  eight  farmers  were  treacherously 
murdered  during  a  conference  with  a  party  of 
warriors.  In  January  1812  an  advance  was  made 
by  the  burghers  and  Hottentots  in  six  divisions, 
that  swept  the  country  before  them,  while  the 
European  soldiers  occupied  strong  positions  in  the 
rear.  This  plan  succeeded  admirably,  for  the  Kosas, 
about  twenty  thousand  in  number,  after  a  brief 
resistance  fled  to  their  own  country.  Some  women 
who  were  made  prisoners  were  then  sent  to  inform 
them  that  on  their  own  side  of  the  boundary  they 
would  not  be  molested,  but  if  they  returned  to  the 
colony  they  would  be  shot.  By  the  beginning  of 
March  the  fourth  Kaffir  war  was  over,  and  it  had 
ended — as  neither  the  second  nor  the  third  had — 
favourably  for  the  Europeans. 


ESTABLISHMENT  OF  A   CIRCUIT  COURT.       1 45 


A  line  of  military  posts,  garrisoned  partly  by  Euro- 
pean soldiers,  partly  by  the  Hottentot  regiment — 
which  was  shortly  afterwards  raised  to  eight  hundred 
men, — and  partly  by  burghers,  was  now  formed  from 
the  sea  to  the  second  chain  of  mountains,  to  prevent 
the  return  of  the  people  expelled.  The  principal 
post  in  the  line,  where  the  head-quarters  of  the  troops 
on  the  frontier  were  stationed,  was  named  Grahams- 
town,  in  honour  of  the  officer  in  command. 

During  recent  years  several  governors  had  thought 
of  establishing  a  circuit  court,  but  the  various  changes 
which  had  taken  place  prevented  the  completion  of 
the  design  until  181 1.  Three  members  of  the  high 
court  of  justice  then  left  Capetown  on  the  first 
circuit,  with  instructions  to  try  important  cases,  to 
ascertain  whether  the  landdrosts  performed  their 
duties  correctly  and  impartially,  to  inspect  the  district 
chests  and  buildings,  and  to  report  upon  the  condition 
of  the  people  and  all  matters  affecting  public  interests. 
Their  proceedings  were  conducted  with  open  doors, 
and  no  distinction  was  made  between  persons  of 
different  races  or  colour,  either  as  accusers,  accused, 
or  witnesses.  Throughout  South  Africa  satisfaction 
was  expressed  with  the  establishment  of  a  circuit 
court  of  this  kind,  and  everywhere  the  judges  were 
received  with  the  greatest  respect. 

Unfortunately,  however,  the  reverend  Messrs. 
Vanderkemp  and  Read,  missionaries  of  the  London 
society,  had  given  credence  to  a  number  of  stories  of 
murder  of  Hottentots  and  other  outrages  said  to  have 
been  committed  by  colonists,  and  their  reports — in 
which  these  tales  appeared  as  facts — were  published 

11 


146 


ENGLISH  RULE  IN  SOUTH  AFRICA. 


in  England.  By  order  of  the  British  government,  the 
charges  thus  made  were  brought  before  the  second 
circuit  court,  which  held  its  sessions  in  the  last  months 
of  1812. 

In  this,  the  black  circuit  as  it  has  since  been  called, 
no  fewer  than  fifty-eight  white  men  and  women  were 
put  upon  their  trial  for  crimes  alleged  to  have  been 
committed  against  Hottentots  or  slaves,  and  over  a 
thousand  witnesses — European,  black,  and  Hottentot 
— were  summoned  to  give  evidence.  The  whole 
country  was  in  a  state  of  commotion.  The  serious 
charges  were  nearly  all  proved  to  be  without  founda- 
tion ;  but  several  individuals  were  found  guilty  of 
assault,  and  were  punished.  The  irritation  of  the 
relatives  and  friends  of  those  who  were  accused  with- 
out sufficient  cause  was  excessive  ;  and  this  event, 
more  than  anything  that  preceded  it,  caused  a  last- 
ing unfriendly  feeling  between  the  colonists  and  the 
missionaries  of  the  London  society. 

In  181 3  the  French  met  with  great  reverses  in 
Europe,  and  one  of  the  first  results  was  that  the 
prince  of  Orange,  who  had  been  in  exile  in  England 
since  1795,  returned  to  the  Netherlands  and  was 
received  by  the  people  as  their  ruler.  To  this  time 
the  British  government  regarded  the  Cape  Colony 
not  as  a  national  possession,  but  as  a  conquest  that 
might  be  restored  to  its  original  owner  on  the  conclu- 
sion of  peace.  But  now  an  agreement  was  made  with 
the  sovereign  prince  of  the  Netherlands  that  for  a 
sum  of  six  million  pounds  sterling  he  should  cede 
to  Great  Britain  the  Cape  Colony  and  some  Dutch 
provinces  in  South  America.    This  agreement  was 


CESSION  OF  THE  COLONY. 


147 


embodied  in  a  convention  signed  at  London  in  August 
1 8 14,  when  the  claim  of  the  Netherlands  to  South 
Africa  was  extinguished  for  ever. 

And  so  the  hopes  that  the  colonists  entertained  of 
coming  again  under  the  flag  of  Holland  were  dissi- 
pated, but  time  had  done  much  to  soften  their  regret. 
To  say  that  they  were  reconciled  to  English  rule 
would  be  incorrect.  They  were,  however,  becoming 
accustomed  to  it,  and  as  yet,  excepting  the  statements 
of  the  London  missionaries,  nothing  had  occurred 
to  cause  any  friction.  Their  language  was  still  used 
in  the  courts  of  law  and  the  public  offices.  Their 
churches  had  been  increased  to  nine,  and  their  clergy- 
men were  paid  by  the  state.  Six  new  magistracies — 
George,  Clanwilliam,  Caledon,  Grahamstown,  Cradock, 
and  Simonstown — had  been  established.  The  financial 
condition  of  the  government,  bad  as  it  subsequently 
proved  to  be,  was  not  yet  causing  much  alarm.  In 
the  Cape  peninsula,  where  alone  Englishmen  were 
met  in  considerable  numbers,  intermarriages  were 
already  so  common  that  race  antipathies  were  rapidly 
dying  out.  After  the  absorption  of  Holland  by 
France,  also,  the  colonists  lost  the  enthusiastic  at- 
tachment which  they  had  felt  for  the  Batavian 
Republic,  so  that  altogether  the  prospect  was  fair 
that  in  course  of  time  the  Europeans  in  South  Africa 
would  forget  their  old  aversion  to  British  rule,  unless 
something  untoward  happened  to  revive  it. 


XIII. 


THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  LORD  CHARLES 
SOMERSET. 

THOUGH  the  colony  had  now  become  a  permanent 
British  possession,  no  change  in  the  form  of  its  govern- 
ment was  made,  nor  was  there  any  reduction  of  the 
excessively  high  salaries  paid  to  the  officials  sent 
from  England.  Lord  Charles  Somerset,  who  succeeded 
Sir  John  Cradock  in  1 8 14,  drew  a  salary  of  ,£10,000 
a  year,  and  was  provided  at  the  public  expense  with 
a  residence  in  town,  a  country  house  at  Newlands,  a 
marine  villa  at  Camp's  Bay,  and  a  shooting  lodge 
at  Groenekloof.  He  and  the  heads  of  departments 
among  them  absorbed  more  than  one-fourth  of  the 
entire  revenue  of  the  country.  Buildings  needed  for 
landdrosts'  offices  in  the  country  districts  and  for 
various  purposes  in  Capetown  had  been  provided 
during  recent  years,  but  the  cost  had  been  defrayed 
by  the  creation  of  paper  money,  not  from  surplus 
funds  in  the  treasury.  Such  a  system  could  only  end 
in  disaster,  but  apparently  no  one  saw  trouble  ahead, 
and  the  secretary  of  state  took  no  steps  to  correct  it. 

Lord  Charles  Somerset  had  been  in  the  colony  a 
148 


slachter's  nek  rebellion. 


149 


little  longer  than  a  year  when  an  event  took  place 
which  stirred  the  smouldering  fire  of  disaffection  to 
British  rule. 

There  was  a  farmer  named  Frederik  Bezuiden- 
hout  living  on  the  eastern  frontier,  in  a  secluded  dell 
in  the  valley  now  called  Glen  Lynden.  This  man 
was  summoned  to  appear  before  a  court  of  justice  on 
a  charge  of  ill-treatment  of  a  servant,  but  did  not 
attend,  so  a  company  of  pandours  was  sent  to  arrest 
him.  When  they  were  seen  approaching  he  fired 
upon  them,  and  then  took  shelter  in  a  cavern  close 
by,  where,  as  he  refused  to  surrender,  he  was  shot  dead. 

On  the  following  day  his  relatives  and  friends 
assembled  for  the  funeral,  when  one  of  his  brothers 
declared  that  he  would  never  rest  until  the  Hottentot 
regiment  was  driven  from  the  frontier.  The  others 
present  expressed  themselves  of  the  same  mind,  and 
a  plan  of  insurrection  was  made.  An  attempt  to 
induce  others  to  join  them  failed,  however,  and  they 
were  never  able  to  muster  more  than  fifty  men. 

Within  a  very  short  time  the  government  became 
acquainted  with  what  was  taking  place,  and  as  a 
strong  force  of  burghers  who  had  no  sympathy  with 
lawlessness  assisted  the  troops  sent  to  restore  order, 
the  revolt  was  suppressed  without  difficulty.  Most  of 
those  who  had  taken  part  in  it  surrendered,  but  a  few 
tried  to  escape  to  Kaffirland.  These  were  followed 
by  a  party  of  pandours,  and  all  were  captured  except 
Jan  Bezuidenhout,  who  would  not  surrender,  and, 
with  his  wife  and  little  son  helping  him,  stood  at  bay 
till  he  was  shot  dead. 

The  prisoners — thirty-nine  in  number — were  tried 


150  LORD  CHARLES  SOMERSET'S  ADMINISTRATION. 

by  a  special  commission  of  the  high  court  of  justice, 
and  six  were  sentenced  to  death,  the  others  to  various 
kinds  of  punishment.  Lord  Charles  Somerset  would 
only  mitigate  one  of  the  death  sentences,  and  five  of 
the  insurgents  were  hanged  in  presence  of  their  com- 
panions. The  burghers  who  had  assisted  the  govern- 
ment were  greatly  shocked  by  this  severe  punishment, 
for  they  had  not  thought  they  were  helping  to  bring 
their  misguided  countrymen  to  death.  By  them,  as 
well  as  by  the  families  of  those  who  took  part  in 
the  disturbance,  the  event  was  long  remembered  with 
very  bitter  feelings  towards  the  British  authorities. 

It  is  now  necessary  to  cast  a  glance  at  the  clans 
east  of  the  Fish  river,  for  movements  were  taking 
place  among  them  that  brought  on  another  war  with 
the  white  people,  apparently  a  most  unjustifiable  war 
on  the  part  of  the  European  government,  but  really 
one  for  which  a  good  reason  was  not  wanting. 

After  Ndlambe's  expulsion  from  the  colony,  bands 
of  his  followers  found  means  to  get  through  the  line 
of  military  posts  and  plunder  the  farmers  beyond. 
His  young  athletes,  good-natured  when  not  in  a  state 
of  excitement,  fleet  of  foot,  daring,  and  capable  of 
long  abstinence  from  food,  made  their  way  from 
thicket  to  thicket  through  the  country  they  had  lived 
in  nearly  thirteen  years,  and  the  first  notice  of  their 
presence  in  any  locality  was  an  empty  fold  from 
which  the  cattle  had  been  driven  at  night.  The 
more  expert  the  robber,  the  greater  hero  was  he 
among  his  companions,  and  the  prouder  were  his 
relatives  of  him.  It  was  their  way  of  earning  glory 
and  gain  at  the  same  time. 


FIFTH  KAFFIR  WAR. 


Occasionally  a  band  of  soldiers  would  appear  at 
one  of  their  kraals  and  take  compensation  for  the 
losses  of  the  farmers,  and  then  another  account  would 
be  run  up  in  the  same  way.  Thus  there  was  a  feeling 
of  hostility  on  both  sides,  with  no  prospect  of  a 
change  for  the  better. 

Ndlambe  and  Gaika  were  all  the  time  quarrelling 
with  each  other,  and  in  1818  the  elder  chief  suddenly 
became  the  stronger  of  the  two.  A  large  and  im- 
portant clan,  previously  neutral,  went  over  to  his  side, 
and  a  famous  seer,  named  Makana,  declared  in  his 
favour.  This  Makana  was  a  man  of  conspicuous 
ability  among  his  countrymen.  If  he  had  been  of 
chieftain's  blood,  there  is  little  doubt  that  he  would 
have  made  a  great  position  for  himself,  but  his 
parents  were  commoners,  and  therefore  in  Kaffirland 
he  could  never  be  the  head  of  a  tribe.  He  took  the 
only  way  to  power  open  to  him,  and  became  a 
religious  teacher.  The  people  believed  that  he  was 
in  communication  with  the  spirits  of  the  mighty 
dead,  and  that  his  visions  and  dreams  were  inspired. 
His  precepts  were  of  a  highly  moral  nature,  for  he 
had  learned  a  good  deal  of  Christianity  from  mission- 
aries, and  adapted  it  to  his  own  ideas. 

In  time  Makana  acquired  enormous  influence, 
which  he  used  in  an  attempt  to  solidify  the  western 
section  of  the  Kosa  tribe,  by  bringing  the  half- 
independent  clans  of  which  it  was  composed  into 
complete  subjection  to  one  head.  Gaika,  sunk  in 
drunkenness  and  sensuality,  was  incapable  even  of 
comprehending  such  a  purpose  ;  so  he  declared  for 
the  manly  and  clear-headed  Ndlambe,  though  that 


152  LORD  CHARLES  SOMERSET'S  ADMINISTRATION. 


chief  must  then  have  been  nearly  eighty  years  of  age. 
The  nominal  head  of  the  tribe,  who  was  named 
Hintsa,  resided  far  away  beyond  the  Kei,  and  usually 
troubled  himself  very  little  about  the  western  clans, 
over  whom  he  had  hardly  any  authority.  But  on 
this  occasion  he  too  pronounced  in  favour  of  the  old 
chief,  and  sent  a  band  of  warriors  to  aid  him. 

By  a  stratagem  of  Makana,  the  greater  number  of 
Gaika's  adherents  were  drawn  into  an  ambush  on  the 
Debe  flats,  where  after  a  desperate  battle  they  were 
driven  from  the  field  with  frightful  slaughter.  The 
defeated  chief  fled  to  the  Winterberg,  and  sent  to  the 
colony  to  beg  for  aid. 

Now  comes  the  question  :  Was  Lord  Charles 
Somerset  justified  in  assisting  him?  The  quarrel 
was  between  two  rivals  in  a  tribe  over  which  he  had 
no  right  of  control,  what  business  had  he  to  interfere 
in  it  ?  The  answer  is  that  the  governor  could  not 
permit  a  formidable  hostile  power  to  grow  up  on  the 
border  of  the  colony.  To  those  who  do  not  consider 
that  reason  sufficient,  his  action  must  appear  unjusti- 
fiable. 

Regarding  Ndlambe  as  an  implacable  and  danger- 
ous enemy,  he  issued  instructions  to  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Brereton  to  proceed  to  Gaika's  assistance 
with  a  combined  force  of  burghers  and  soldiers.  In 
December  1818  Colonel  Brereton  crossed  the  Fish 
river,  and  being  joined  by  Gaika's  adherents,  attacked 
Ndlambe,  who  was  believed  to  be  at  the  head  of 
eighteen  thousand  men. 

Ndlambe  and  his  followers,  however,  did  not  ven- 
ture to  make  a  stand  on  open  ground,  but  retired  to 


FIFTH  KAFFIR  WAR. 


153 


dense  thickets,  which  afforded  them  shelter.  Their 
kraals  were  destroyed,  and  twenty-three  thousand 
head  of  cattle  were  seized.  The  British  commander 
found  it  impossible  to  restrain  the  savage  passions  of 
Gaika's  followers,  who  were  mad  with  excitement  and 
joy  at  being  able  to  take  revenge,  and  were  unwilling 
to  show  mercy  when  any  of  their  enemies  fell  into 
their  hands.  He  withdrew,  therefore,  before  Ndlambe 
was  thoroughly  humbled,  and  on  reaching  Grahams- 
town  ^the  burghers  were  disbanded  and  permitted  to 
return  to  their  homes. 

Ndlambe  at  once  took  advantage  of  the  oppor- 
tunity. Falling  upon  Gaika,  he  put  that  chief  to 
flight,  and  then  he  poured  his  warriors  into  the 
colony.  The  inhabitants  of  the  district  between  the 
Fish  and  Sunday  rivers,  unless  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  military  posts,  were  compelled  hastily  to  retire  to 
lagers,  and  lost  nearly  all  their  property.  Seventeen 
white  people  and  thirteen  Hottentots  were  murdered. 

A  burgher  force  was  called  out,  but  before  the 
farmers  could  take  the  field  Grahamstown  was 
attacked.  In  the  early  morning  of  the  22nd  of 
April  1 8 19  between  nine  and  ten  thousand  warriors, 
led  by  Makana,  made  a  sudden  rush  upon  that  post, 
which  had  then  a  garrison  of  only  three  hundred  and 
thirty-three  men.  They  were  met  with  a  deadly  fire 
of  musketry  and  artillery,  and  after  a  short  struggle 
were  driven  back  with  heavy  loss. 

Three  months  later  a  strong  army  of  colonists  and 
soldiers  crossed  the  Fish  river,  drove  Ndlambe's 
adherents  eastward  to  the  bank  of  the  Kei,  killed 
many  of  them,  seized  all  their  cattle,  and  burned 


154  LORD  CHARLES  SOMERSET'S  ADMINISTRATION. 


their  kraals.  The  old  chief's  power  was  completely 
broken.  The  fifth  Kaffir  war  ended  by  the  surrender 
of  Makana,  who  gave  himself  up  in  the  hope  that 
his  friends  would  then  be  spared.  He  was  sent  a 
prisoner  to  Robben  Island,  and  three  years  afterwards 
was  drowned  when  trying  to  escape. 

Though  there  was  no  more  fighting,  the  forces 
were  kept  in  the  field  for  several  months.  The 
governor  then  resolved  to  try  to  prevent  the  Kosas 
from  entering  the  colony  again  by  keeping  a  belt 


FORT  WILTSHIRE.     BUILT   l820  ;  ABANDONED  1837. 

{From  a  Sketch  by  A.  Steedman.) 

of  land  beyond  the  border  unoccupied  except  by 
soldiers,  who  were  to  patrol  constantly  up  and  down 
it.  The  military  officers  recommended  that  the 
Keiskama  and  Tyumie,  as  being  a  better  line  of 
defence  than  the  Pish  river,  should  be  made  the 
limit  of  Kaffirland,  and  the  governor  accepted  their 
advice.  In  October  he  met  Gaika,  who  depended 
upon  his  good  will  so  completely  that  when  he 
proposed  his  scheme  the  chief  at  once  agreed  to  it. 
On  the  right  bank  of  the  Keiskama  a  defensible 


ARRIVAL  OF  BRITISH  SETTLERS. 


155 


barrack  was  then  built,  which  was  named  Fort 
Willshire,  and  there  a  body  of  European  troops 
was  stationed.  A  little  later  another  barrack  was 
built  on  the  Kat  river,  and  was  named  Fort  Beaufort. 
The  territory  between  the  Fish  river  and  the  new  line 
was  kept  without  inhabitants,  but  it  was  easily  tra- 
versed by  the  Kosas,  who  knew  every  thicket  and 
jungle  in  it.  In  1820  it  was  ceded  by  Gaika  to  the 
colony. 

We  have  now  arrived  at  an  important  period  in  the 
history  of  South  Africa.  To  this  time  the  colonists 
outside  of  Capetown  were  almost  entirely  Dutch- 
speaking,  henceforward  the  English  language  is  to  be 
heard  in  many  farmhouses  as  well  as  in  the  villages 
and  towns  throughout  the  country,  and  English 
customs  and  ideas  are  to  come  into  rivalry  with 
the  customs  and  ideas  of  the  earlier  settlers. 

For  several  years  after  the  general  peace  which 
followed  the  fall  of  Napoleon  much  distress  was  felt 
by  the  labouring  classes  in  Great  Britain,  and  emigra- 
tion was  commonly  spoken  of  as  the  only  effectual 
remedy.  In  the  Cape  Colony  in  18 19,  according  to 
the  census,  there  were  only  forty-two  thousand  white 
people  ;  so  it  seemed  to  the  imperial  government  that 
the  country  invited  settlers,  and  parliament  without 
demur  granted  ,£50,000  to  defray  the  cost  of  sending 
out  a  large  party. 

Heads  of  families  representing  nearly  ninety  thou- 
sand persons  applied  for  passages,  and  from  these 
a  selection  was  made  of  the  number  required.  The 
ships  in  which  they  left  England  and  Ireland,  with 
one  exception,  reached  South  Africa  safely,  and  in 


156  LORD  CHARLES  SOMERSET'S  ADMINISTRATION. 

April  1820  the  immigrants  commenced  to  land  on 
the  sandy  beach  of  Algoa  Bay.  A  few  hundred  who 
arrived  a  little  later  were  located  first  at  Clanwilliam, 
but  in  a  short  time  most  of  them  abandoned  that 
part  of  the  colony  and  followed  the  others  to  the 
eastern  frontier.  Several  were  people  of  some  means, 
who  brought  out  a  number  of  servants  and  appren- 
tices, the  others  were  of  various  callings,  a  large 
proportion  being  artisans,  men  who  had  worked  in 
factories  in  England,  clerks,  and  storemen.  There 
were  nearly  twice  as  many  male  as  female  adults. 

The  imperial  government  defrayed  the  cost  of 
ocean  transit,  and  each  head  of  a  family  was  promised 
a  plot  of  ground  one  hundred  acres  in  extent,  on 
condition  of  occupying  it  for  three  years.  Those 
who  brought  out  servants  were  to  have  an  additional 
hundred  acres  for  each.  Nothing  more  than  this 
was  promised,  but  means  of  transport  to  the  land 
on  which  they  were  located  were  provided  by  the 
government,  and  for  more  than  eighteen  months 
rations  of  food  were  supplied  to  all  who  needed 
them.  With  few  exceptions,  the  immigrants  were 
located  between  the  Bushman's  and  Fish  rivers,  the 
Zuurberg  and  the  sea,  a  pleasant  land  to  look  upon, 
with  its  waving  grass  and  many  streamlets  and 
patches  of  dark  evergreen  forest  in  the  recesses  of 
the  mountains.  It  was  part  of  the  territory  that 
Ndlambe  had  occupied  for  thirteen  years,  and  that 
he  had  vainly  tried  to  hold  in  1812. 

At  the  same  time  that  these  people  were  being  sent 
from  Great  Britain  at  the  expense  of  the  government, 
a  few  came  to  South  Africa  without  any  aid,  on  the 


SUCCESS  OF  THE  BRITISH  SETTLERS.  157 


assurance  of  the  secretary  of  state  that  they  would 
receive  larger  grants  of  land  if  they  paid  for  their 
passages.  Altogether,  nearly  five  thousand  indivi- 
duals of  British  birth  settled  in  the  colony  between 
March  1820  and  May  1821. 

For  several  years  the  immigrants  were  subject  to 
much  distress.  Most  of  them  knew  nothing  about 
tilling  ground,  but  they  tried  to  live  upon  their  little 
farms  until  they  could  get  title-deeds,  in  order  to  be 
able  to  sell.  Season  after  season  their  wheat  crops 
were  destroyed  by  rust.  Then  there  was  a  great 
flood,  which  washed  away  many  cottages  and  gardens. 
In  addition  to  other  troubles,  roving  Kosas  made 
their  way  into  the  district,  and  robbed  the  poor  people 
of  many  of  the  cattle  that  they  had  purchased. 

At  the  end  of  1821  the  artisans  began  to  disperse. 
In  different  villages  throughout  the  colony  they 
obtained  plenty  of  work,  at  prices  that  soon  placed 
them  in  a  good  position.  They  were  followed  from 
the  locations  by  many  others,  who  were  not  qualified 
to  make  farmers,  but  who  easily  found  openings  in 
other  pursuits.  The  government  then  enlarged  the 
farms  of  those  who  knew  how  to  make  use  of  them, 
and  better  times  for  all  set  in.  It  was  about  five 
years  after  their  arrival  before  each  one  found  himself 
in  the  sphere  for  which  he  was  best  adapted,  and  in 
another  five  years  it  began  to  be'questioned  whether 
a  similar  party  had  ever  succeeded  so  well  in  any 
other  country. 

Grahamstown  and  Port  Elizabeth  owe  their  im- 
portance to  these  British  immigrants.  In  1820 
neither  of  these  places  was  more  than  a  hamlet 


158  LORD  CHARLES  SOMERSET'S  ADMINISTRATION. 


attached  to  a  military  post,  but  a  few  years  later 
both  were  flourishing  towns. 

About  one-eighth  of  the  European  inhabitants  of 
the  colony  were  now  English-speaking,  and  theirs 
was  a  language  which  quickly  spreads.    When  a  man 
from  the  British  Islands  and  one  from  any  other 
country  live  together,  their  intercourse  is  conducted 
in  the  language  of  the  Briton,  for  he  refuses  to  learn 
a  speech  that  was  strange  to  him  in  youth.    In  South 
Africa  this  matter  might  with  great  advantage  have 
been  left  to  settle  itself.    But  the  deepest  feelings  of 
the  old  colonists  were  stirred  by  an  order  of  the 
imperial  government  that  after  the  1st  of  January 
1825  all  official    documents,  and    after  the  1st  of 
January  1828  all  proceedings  in  courts  of  law  should 
be  in  English.    In  Simonstown,  Grahamstown,  and 
Port  Elizabeth,  the  exclusive  use  of  the  English 
language  in  the  courts  of  law  was  not  objected  to  ; 
but  in  other  places,  where  Dutch  was  spoken  by 
nearly  the  whole  people,  the  order  was  regarded  as 
a  very  serious  grievance.    Many  requests  were  made 
to  the  government  to  annul  it,  but  to  no  purpose, 
and  upon  the  dates  named  English  became  the  official 
language  of  the  country.    It  would  have  been  difficult 
to  devise  a  measure  more  calculated  to  irritate  the 
Dutch  inhabitants. 

Just  at  this  time  also  great  distress  was  caused 
to  many  people  by  an  order  concerning  the  paper 
money.  There  were  in  circulation  notes  to  the 
nominal  value  of  a  little  over  £700,000,  of  which 
about  one-third  had  been  created  by  the  English 
government,  one-seventh  had  been  forged  so  cleverly 


SIGNS  OF  PROGRESS. 


159 


that  they  could  not  be  separated  from  those  that 
were  genuine,  and  the  remainder  were  of  Dutch 
origin.  The  existence  of  this  paper  was  certainly 
a  very  great  drawback  to  commerce,  and  it  was 
necessary  for  the  advancement  of  the  country  that  it 
should  be  got  rid  of.  But  when  an  order  came  from 
England  reducing  it  to  three-eighths  of  its  nominal 
value,  and  making  British  silver  money  a  legal  tender 
at  that  rate  of  exchange,  it  was  felt  as  a  crushing 
blow  by  many  people.  Not  a  few  were  entirely 
ruined.  But  commerce  was  placed  on  a  safe  footing, 
for  the  old  rixdollar  notes  were  replaced  by  others 
at  the  reduced  rate,  on  which  the  value  was  marked 
in  pounds  sterling,  and  the  imperial  treasury  was 
responsible  for  their  redemption  at  any  time  in  gold. 

Notwithstanding  the  widespread  discontent  and 
the  drawbacks  to  prosperity  which  have  been  men- 
tioned, the  colony  showed  many  signs  of  progress 
during  the  administration  of  Lord  Charles  Somerset. 
The  villages  of  Beaufort  West,  Bathurst,  Worcester, 
Somerset  East,  and  Somerset  West  were  founded, 
the  first  lighthouse  on  the  coast  was  built,  a  good 
waggon  road  was  opened  through  a  cleft  in  the 
mountain  range  behind  French  Hoek,  and  the  South 
African  public  library  was  established.  The  breed 
of  cattle,  and  especially  of  horses,  was  greatly  im- 
proved, mainly  through  the  importation  of  thorough- 
bred stock  by  the  governor  himself.  Wine  was 
the  principal  article  of  export,  but  mules  were  now 
sent  to  Mauritius  and  horses  to  India  in  considerable 
numbers. 

The  clergymen  of  the  Dutch  church  were  increased 


l6o  LORD  CHARLES  SOMERSET'S  ADMINISTRATION. 


to  sixteen,  and  of  the  English  church  to  five.  A 
Wesleyan  clergyman  who  was  sent  out  from  Eng- 
land in  1 8 14  was  not  permitted  by  the  governor  to 
conduct  services  publicly,  so  his  society  appealed  to 
the  secretary  of  state,  with  the  result  that  religious 
liberty  was  secured  for  the  colony.  A  Roman 
catholic  clergyman  was  now  resident  in  Capetown, 
and  Protestant  clergymen  of  various  denominations 
were  scattered  over  the  country  and  carrying  on 
mission  work  beyond  the  borders.  At  each  drostdy 
a  high-class  government  school  was  established,  to 
which  parents  were  invited  to  send  their  children  free 
of  charge.  In  the  eastern  part  of  the  colony  these 
schools  were  of  the  utmost  service,  but  as  instruction 
was  given  through  the  medium  of  the  English 
language  only,  they  were  regarded  with  much  anti- 
pathy in  the  western  districts,  and  were  not  there  as 
useful  as  they  might  otherwise  have  been. 

In  1825  a  council  was  established  to  advise  the 
governor  in  such  affairs  of  importance  as  he  might 
choose  to  submit  to  it  for  discussion.  It  consisted  of 
six  officials  appointed  by  the  secretary  of  state,  and 
was  intended  to  modify  the  despotic  power  of  the 
governor  ;  but  practically  it  was  a  very  slight  check 
upon  the  authority  of  a  man  of  strong  will  like  Lord 
Charles  Somerset,  who  treated  in  a  most  arbitrary 
manner  all  who  professed  democratic  principles  or 
who  ventured  to  oppose  him  in  any  way.  Among 
other  acts  which  caused  much  clamour  was  the  sup- 
pression by  his  order  of  a  liberal  newspaper  called 
the  Commercial  Advertiser,  and  the  virtual  confisca- 
tion of  the  press  with  which  it  was  printed. 


RESIGNATION  OF  THE  GOVERNOR.  l6l 

The  later  years  of  his  administration  were  marked 
by  distress  among  the  farmers — owing  to  bad  seasons, 
— by  a  decreasing  revenue,  by  much  grumbling  about 
the  burden  of  taxation  and  the  excessive  cost  of 
government,  and  by  numerous  complaints  of  his 
tyranny  made  to  the  secretary  of  state  and  to  the 
imperial  parliament.  But  he  had  influential  friends, 
for  he  was  a  brother  of  the  duke  of  Beaufort  and 
of  that  Lord  Fitzroy  Somerset  who  afterwards 
became  Lord  Raglan,  and  his  party  was  then  in 
power.  In  1826,  however,  he  was  obliged  to  return 
to  England  to  defend  his  conduct  against  charges  by 
the  liberal  leaders  in  the  house  of  commons,  who 
were  making  capital  of  him  in  their  attacks  upon  the 
treasury  benches,  and  as  there  was  a  change  of 
ministry  shortly  afterwards,  he  considered  it  prudent 
to  resign  the  government  of  the  Cape  Colony,  a 
course  of  action  that  prevented  his  case  coming  on 
for  hearing. 


12 


XIV. 


THE  WARS  AND  DEVASTATIONS  OF  TSHAKA. 

At  this  period  nearly  the  whole  of  South  Africa 
beyond  the  borders  of  the  Cape  Colony  was  in  a  state 
of  violent  disturbance,  owing  to  wars  among  different 
Bantu  tribes. 

About  the  year  1783,  or  perhaps  a  little  later,  one 
of  the  wives  of  the  chief  of  a  small  tribe  living  on 
the  banks  of  the  river  Umvolosi  gave  birth  to  a  son, 
who  was  named  Tshaka.  Before  he  was  fully  grown 
the  boy  excited  the  jealousy  of  his  father,  and  was 
obliged  to  flee  for  his  life.  He  took  refuge  with 
Dingiswayo,  head  of  a  powerful  tribe,  who  in  his 
early  years  had  gone  through  many  strange  adven- 
tures, and  had  by  some  means  come  to  hear  of  the 
European  military  system.  When  Tshaka  fled  to 
him,  Dingiswayo  was  carrying  on  war  with  his 
neighbours,  and  had  his  followers  regularly  drilled 
and  formed  into  regiments.  The  young  refugee 
became  a  soldier  in  one  of  these  regiments,  and  by 
his  bravery  and  address  rapid ly  rose  to  a  high 
position.  Time  passed  on,  Dingiswayo  died,  and 
the  army  raised  Tshaka,  then  its  favourite  general, 

.  162 


GENIUS  OF  TSHAKA.  1 63 

to  supreme  command.  This  was  the  origin  of  the 
terrible  Zulu  power. 

Tshaka  was  a  man  of  great  bodily  strength  and  of 
unusual  vigour  of  mind,  but  he  was  utterly  merciless. 


A  ZULU  WARRIOR  IN  UNIFORM. 

{Sketch  by  Captain  Gardiner.) 


He  set  himself  the  task  not  merely  of  conquering 
but  of  exterminating  the  tribes  as  far  as  he  could 
reach.  With  this  object  he  greatly  improved  the 
discipline  of  the  army,  and  substituted  for  the  light 


164     WARS  AND  DEVASTATIONS  OF  TSHAKA. 


assagai  a  short-handled  long-bladed  spear  formed 
either  to  cut  or  to  stab.  With  this  weapon  in  his 
hand,  the  highly  trained  Zulu  soldier,  proud  of  his 
fame  and  his  ornaments,  and  knowing  that  death 
was  the  penalty  of  cowardice  or  disobedience,  was 
really  invincible. 

Tribe  after  tribe  passed  out  of  sight  under  the 
Zulu  spear,  none  of  the  members  remaining  but  a  few 
of  the  handsomest  girls  and  some  boys  reserved  to 
carry  burdens.  These  boys,  with  only  the  choice 
before  them  of  abject  slavery  or  becoming  soldiers, 
always  begged  to  be  allowed  to  enter  the  army,  and 
were  soon  known  as  the  fiercest  of  the  warriors. 

The  territory  that  is  now  the  colony  of  Natal  was 
densely  peopled  before  the  time  of  Tshaka.  But 
soon  after  the  commencement  of  his  career,  various 
tribes  that  were  trying  to  escape  from  his  armies  fell 
upon  the  inhabitants  of  that  fair  land,  and  drove 
before  them  those  whom  they  did  not  destroy.  As 
far  as  the  Umzimvubu  river  the  whole  population 
was  in  motion,  slaughtering  and  being  slaughtered. 

One  large  horde  of  fugitives  made  its  way  as  far 
as  the  river  Umgwali,  and  was  there  attacked  and 
beaten  by  a  combined  force  of  Tembus  and  Kosas. 
After  the  battle  the  horde  dispersed,  and  its  frag- 
ments settled  down  in  a  condition  of  vassalage  among 
the  clans  between  the  Kei  and  the  Umtata.  So 
also  at  a  little  later  date  did  other  remnants  of 
various  tribes  from  the  north,  all  of  the  refugees 
taking  the  common  name  of  Fingos,  or  wanderers. 
By  the  beginning  of  1824,  between  the  rivers  Tugela 
and  Umzimvubu  there  were  not  left  more  than  five 


THE  MANX  A  TI  HORDE. 


165 


or  six  thousand  wretched  starvelings,  who  hid  them- 
selves in  thickets,  and  some  of  whom  became  canni- 
bals as  the  only  means  of  sustaining  life. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  great  mountain  range 
known  as  the  Kathlamba  or  Drakensberg,  the  de- 
struction of  human  beings  was  even  greater.  Before 
the  rise  of  the  Zulu  power,  Bantu  tribes  peopled 
densely  the  northern  part  of  the  territory  now  termed 
Basutoland,  the  north-eastern  portion  of  the  present 
Orange  Free  State,  and  the  whole  area  of  the  South 
African  Republic  of  our  days.  During  the  winter 
of  the  year  1822  a  tribe  fleeing  from  the  Zulus 
crossed  the  mountains  and  fell  upon  the  people 
residing  about  the  sources  of  the  Caledon.  They, 
in  their  turn,  fell  upon  others  in  advance,  until  the 
whole  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  as  far  as 
the  Vaal  in  one  great  horde  crossed  the  river  and 
began  to  devastate  the  region  beyond.  Among  their 
leaders  was  a  woman  named  Ma  Ntatisi,  from  whom 
the  horde  received  the  name  Mantatis. 

After  crossing  the  Vaal,  the  Mantatis  turned  to 
the  north-west,  and  created  awful  havoc  with  the 
tribes  in  their  line  of  march.  As  each  was  overcome, 
its  cattle  and  grain  were  devoured,  and  then  the 
murderous  host  passed  on  to  the  next.  Their 
strength  was  partly  kept  up  by  incorporating  captives, 
but  vast  numbers  of  the  invaders,  especially  of  women 
and  children,  left  their  bones  mingled  with  those  of 
the  people  they  destroyed.  Twenty-eight  distinct 
tribes  are  believed  to  have  disappeared  before  the 
Mantatis  received  a  check.  Then  Makaba,  chief  of 
the  Bangwaketsi,  fell  upon  them  unawares,  defeated 


i66 


IVARS 


AND  DEVASTATIONS  OF 


TSHAKA. 


them,  and  compelled  them  to  turn  to  the  south.  In 
June  1823  they  sustained  another  defeat  from  a  party 
of  Griqua  horsemen,  and  then  the  great  horde  broke 
into  fragments. 

One  section — the  Makololo — went  northward,  de- 
stroying the  tribes  in  its  course,  and  years  afterwards 
was  found  by  Dr.  Livingstone  on  a  branch  of  the 
Zambesi.  Another  section,  under  Ma  Ntatisi,  re- 
turned to  its  old  home,  and  took  part  in  the 
devastation  of  the  country  along  the  Caledon.  And 
various  little  bands  wandered  about  destroying  until 
they  were  themselves  destroyed.  Several  thousand 
refugees  from  the  wasted  country  found  their  way 
into  the  Cape  Colony,  where  they  were  apprenticed 
by  the  government  to  such  persons  as  were  not 
slaveholders. 

In  the  winter  of  1828  a  Zulu  army  penetrated  the 
country  as  far  south  as  the  Bashee.  Tshaka  himself 
with  a  body-guard  remained  at  the  Umzimkulu,  and 
sent  one  of  his  regiments  to  destroy  the  Pondos,  while 
another  division  of  his  force  proceeded  to  deal  in  the 
same  manner  with  the  Tembus  and  Kosas.  The 
Pondos  were  plundered  of  everything  they  possessed, 
but  the  chief  and  most  of  his  people  managed  to  hide 
themselves  until  the  Zulus  retired.  The  Tembus  and 
Kosas  fared  better.  There  was  an  Englishman, 
named  Hem*)-  Fynn,  with  Tshaka,  and  he  succeeded 
in  inducing  the  chief  to  recall  the  army  before  there 
was  much  destruction  of  life  or  property. 

The  Tembus  and  Kosas,  however,  were  greatly 
alarmed.  They  sent  to  beg  help  from  the  Europeans, 
and  to  prevent  them  from  being  driven  into  the  colony 


MURDER  OF  TSHAKA. 


167 


a  commando  of  a  thousand  men,  under  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Somerset,  marched  to  their  aid.  This  com- 
mando encountered  a  large  body  of  fierce  warriors, 
who  were  believed  to  be  Zulus,  and  an  engagement 
followed  which  lasted  several  hours.  Afterwards  it 
was  discovered  that  the  men  whom  the  Europeans 
were  fighting  with  were  some  of  those  who  had  fled 
from  Tshaka,  and  whose  course  was  marked  by  fire 
and  blood.  They  were  defeated  with  heavy  loss,  and 
as  soon  as  they  were  scattered  the  Kosas  and  Tembus 
fell  upon  them  and  nearly  exterminated  them. 

In  September  1828  Tshaka  was  murdered  by  two 
of  his  brothers,  one  of  whom — Dingan  by  name — 
succeeded  as  chief  of  the  Zulus.  The  new  ruler  was 
equally  as  cruel,  but  not  so  able  as  his  predecessor. 
Under  his  government  the  military  system  was  kept 
up,  though  the  only  people  left  within  reach  that  he 
could  exercise  his  arms  upon  were  the  Swazis.  War 
with  them  was  almost  constant,  but  their  country 
contained  natural  strongholds  which  enabled  them 
to  set  Dingan,  as  they  had  set  Tshaka,  at  defiance. 
Various  armies,  however,  that  had  been  put  in  motion 
at  an  earlier  date  were  still  moving  on,  some  at  a  great 
distance  from  their  starting  places. 

One  of  these  was  under  a  chief  named  Moselekatse, 
whose  reputation  as  a  shedder  of  human  blood  is 
second  only  to  that  of  Tshaka  himself.  He  was  in 
command  of  a  division  of  the  Zulu  army,  and  had 
acquired  the  devoted  attachment  of  the  soldiers,  when 
a  circumstance  occurred  which  left  him  no  choice  but 
flight.  After  a  successful  onslaught  upon  a  tribe 
which  he  was  sent  to  exterminate,  he  neglected  to 


1 68     WARS  AND  DEVASTATIONS  OF  TSHAKA. 


forward  the  whole  of  the  booty  to  his  master,  and 
Tshaka,  enraged  by  such  conduct,  despatched  a  great 
army  with  orders  to  put  him  and  all  his  adherents  to 
death.    These,  receiving  intimation  of  their  danger  in 


PORTRAIT  OF  DING  AN . 
{From  a  Sketch  by  Caplai)i  Gardiner.) 

time,  immediately  crossed  the  mountains  and  began 
to  lay  waste  the  central  zone  of  the  country  that  is 
now  the  South  African  Republic. 

The  numerous  tribes  whose  remnants  form  the 


RISE  OF  THE  MATABELE  POWER.  1 69 

Bapedi  of  our  times  looked  with  dismay  upon  the 
athletic  forms  of  the  Matabele,  as  they  termed  the 
invaders.  They  had  never  before  seen  discipline  so 
perfect  as  that  of  these  naked  braves,  or  weapon  so 
deadly  as  the  Zulu  stabbing  spear.  All  who  could 
not  make  their  escape  were  exterminated,  except  the 
comeliest  girls  and  some  of  the  young  men  who  were 
kept  as  carriers.  These  last  were  led  to  hope  that 
by  faithful  service  they  might  attain  the  position  of 
soldiers,  and  from  them  Moselekatse  filled  up  the 
gaps  that  occurred  in  his  ranks.  The  country  over 
which  he  marched  was  covered  with  skeletons,  and 
literally  no  human  beings  were  left  in  it,  for  his  object 
was  to  place  a  desert  between  Tshaka  and  himself. 
When  he  considered  himself  at  a  safe  distance  from 
his  old  home  he  halted,  erected  military  kraals  after 
the  Zulu  pattern,  and  from  them  as  a  centre  his 
regiments  traversed  the  land  north,  south,  and  west 
in  search  of  spoil. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  the  number  of  Moselekatse's 
warriors,  but  it  was  probably  not  greater  than  ten 
thousand.  Fifty  of  them  were  a  match  for  more  than 
five  hundred  Betshuana.  They  pursued  these  wretched 
creatures  even  when  there  was  no  plunder  to  be  had, 
and  slew  many  thousands  in  mere  wantonness,  in 
exactly  the  same  spirit  and  with  as  little  compunc- 
tion as  a  sportsman  shoots  snipe. 

While  the  Matabele  were  engaged  in  their  career 
of  destruction,  other  bands  were  similarly  employed 
farther  north,  so  that  by  1828  there  was  not  a  single 
Betshuana  tribe  left  intact  between  the  Magalisberg 
and  the  Limpopo.    On  the  margin  of  the  Kalahari 


170     WARS  AND  DEVASTATIONS  OF  TSlJAKA. 


desert  several  were  still  unbroken,  though  they  had 
suffered  severely.  In  1830  Moselekatse  moved  against 
these  tribes,  and  dispersed  them.  They  were  not  ex- 
terminated, because  they  took  refuge  in  the  desert, 
where  they  found  sustenance  in  places  to  which  the 
Matabele  could  not  pursue  them  ;  but  they  were 
reduced  to  a  very  wretched  state. 

After  this  Moselekatse  built  his  military  kraals  on 
the  banks  of  the  Marikwa,  and  was  lord  of  the  country 
far  and  wide. 

Only  one  tribe  escaped,  and  that  the  weakest  and 
most  degraded  of  all  the  southern  Betshuana.  The 
principal  Batlapin  kraal  was  then  at  the  source  of  the 
Kuruman  river,  where  missionaries  resided  for  a  short 
time  at  the  beginning  of  the  century.  The  station 
was  soon  abandoned,  but  was  occupied  again  in  181 7 
by  agents  of  the  London  society,  and  four  years  later 
the  reverend  Robert  Moffat  went  to  live  there.  To- 
wards the  close  of  1829  Mr.  Moffat  visited  Moselekatse, 
whose  kraals  were  then  about  a  hundred  miles  east  of 
the  Marikwa.  The  chief  could  not  comprehend  the 
character  or  the  work  of  the  missionary,  but  he  was 
flattered  by  the  friendship  of  such  a  man,  and  con- 
ceived a  great  respect  for  one  who  could  weld  two 
thick  pieces  of  iron.  He  believed  Mr.  Moffat  to  be 
lord  of  the  people  at  the  Kuruman,  and,  to  show  his 
regard,  he  abstained  from  sending  his  warriors  there. 
Thus  the  Batlapin,  who  would  have  fled  from  the 
smallest  division  of  the  Matabele  arm)7,  were  saved 
by  the  presence  among  them  of  a  courageous  and 
able  European. 

Meantime  in  one  corner  of  the  vast  waste  that  had 


GENIUS  OF  MOSHESH. 


been  created  the  process  of  reconstruction  was  going 
on.  In  the  territory  that  is  now  called  Basutoland  a 
young  man  named  Moshesh  was  collecting  together 
dispersed  people  of  various  tribes,  and  forming  them 
into  a  compact  political  body.  He  was  only  in  rank 
the  son  of  a  petty  captain,  and  his  father  was  still 
living,  so  that  under  ordinary  circumstances  he 
would  have  had  little  chance  of  raising  himself  to 
power.  But  Moshesh  possessed  abilities  of  a  very 
high  order  as  a  military  strategist,  a  diplomatist,  an 
organiser  of  society,  and  a  ruler  of  men.  His  seat 
of  government  was  Thaba  Bosigo,  an  impregnable 
mountain  stronghold.  He  prevented  attacks  of  the 
Zulus  by  professing  himself  the  humblest  vassal  of 
Tshaka  and  Dingan,  and  by  frequently  sending 
tribute  of  furs  and  feathers.  All  who  submitted  to 
him  were  treated  alike,  no  matter  to  what  tribe  they 
originally  belonged,  and  as  much  assistance  as  pos- 
sible was  given  to  those  who  needed  it.  Even  bands 
of  cannibals  were  provided  with  grain  and  gardens, 
that  they  might  become  agriculturists  once  more. 
Men  of  tribes  that  had  recently  been  destroying  each 
other  were  induced  to  live  side  by  side  in  friendship 
and  peace.  Thus  a  new  community  was  forming 
under  Moshesh,  by  far  the  ablest  black  ruler  known 
in  South  Africa  since  the  arrival  of  Europeans  in  the 
country. 

Moselekatse  sent  plundering  parties  against  him, 
but  his  scouts  gave  warning  in  time,  so  that  the 
raiders  were  not  able  to  do  much  harm.  In  1831  a 
Matabele  army  laid  siege  to  Thaba  Bosigo,  but  could 
not  take  the  stronghold.    When  the  besiegers  were 


CONDITION  OF  THE  TRIBES  IN  1 836.  173 


compelled  by  want  of  food  to  retreat,  Moshcsh 
provided  them  with  provisions  sufficient  for  their 
homeward  journey,  and  a  friendly  message  accom- 
panied the  gift.  He  was  never  again  attacked  by 
them. 

In  1833  missionaries  of  the  Paris  evangelical 
society  went  to  reside  with  Moshesh,  from  whom 
they  received  a  hearty  welcome,  as  he  recognised 
that  their  assistance  in  temporal  matters  would  be 
of  great  service.  In  the  same  year  a  number  of 
wandering  bands — Bantu,  Hottentots,  and  half-breeds 
— were  persuaded  by  Wesleyan  missionaries  to  settle 
on  the  right  bank  of  the  Caledon,  not  very  far  from 
Thaba  Bosigo. 

In  1836  a  vast  portion  of  the  territory  east  and 
north  of  the  Cape  Colony  was  lying  waste.  Between 
the  Keiskama  and  Umzimvubu  rivers  were  the  Kosa, 
Tembu,  and  Pondo  tribes,  with  the  Fingos,  and 
various  clans  driven  down  from  the  north.  Mission- 
aries of  the  London,  Glasgow,  and  Wesleyan  societies 
were  endeavouring  to  christianise  and  civilise  these 
people.  Between  the  Umzimvubu  and  Tugela  rivers 
there  were  only  five  or  six  thousand  inhabitants. 
North  of  the  Tugela  were  the  Zulus,  under  the  chief 
Dingan,  who  had  twenty-five  or  thirty  thousand 
highly-trained  soldiers  at  his  command. 

Within  the  western  border  of  the  present  South 
African  Republic,  along  the  Marikwa  river,  were  the 
Matabele  military  kraals  ;  but  the  greater  portion  of 
that  vast  territory  was  unoccupied,  except  in  the  most 
rugged  places,  where  the  broken  remnants  of  former 
tribes  were  lurking.    The  present  Orange  Free  State 


174     WARS  AND  DEVASTATIONS  OF  TSHAKA . 

contained  a  few  hundred  Griquas  or  people  of  mixed 
Hottentot,  negro,  and  European  blood,  who  had 
emigrated  from  the  Cape  Colony,  a  few  hundred 
Hottentots  of  the  Koraria  tribe,  the  remnant  of  the 
horde  under  Ma  Ntatisi  around  Lishuane,  and  some 
Bantu  clans  at  Mekuatling,  Thaba  Ntshu,  and  Bethulie. 
In  the  territory  now  called  British  Betshuanaland  the 
population  consisted  of  the  Batlapin  tribe,  some 
roving  Koranas,  and  a  few  stragglers  on  the  border 
of  the  desert.  And  in  Basutoland  there  were  the 
people  collected  by  Moshesh.  American  missionaries 
were  attempting  to  settle  in  Natal  and  with  the  Mata- 
bele  on  the  Marikwa,  a  clergyman  of  the  church 
of  England  had  just  gone  to  reside  with  Dingan,  and 
missionaries  of  the  Paris,  London,  Berlin,  and  Wesleyan 
societies  were  busy  wherever  there  were  inhabitants 
between  the  Kathlamba  mountains  and  the  desert. 


XV. 


EVENTS  IN  THE  CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1 826  TO 
1835- 

It  is  not  a  pleasant  admission  for  an  Englishman 
to  make,  but  it  is  the  truth,  that  it  would  be  difficult 
to  find  in  any  part  of  the  world  a  people  with  so 
much  cause  to  be  discontented  as  the  old  inhabitants 
of  the  Cape  Colony  for  many  years  after  the  fall  of 
the  ministry  of  the  earl  of  Liverpool.  There  was 
no  sympathy  whatever  shown  towards  them  by  the 
authorities  in  England,  in  fact  there  was  a  decided 
antipathy,  which  was  fostered  by  the  so-called  philan- 
thropic societies,  then  at  the  height  of  their  power. 
The  most  outrageous  stories  concerning  the  colonists 
were  circulated  by  men  who  bore  the  title  of  Christian 
teachers — and  nothing  was  too  gross  to  be  believed 
in  England, — until  the  word  Boer  (Dutch  for  Farmer) 
came  to  be  regarded  as  a  synonym  for  an  ignorant 
and  heartless  oppressor  of  coloured  people.  It  was 
useless  for  the  governors  to  report  differently,  or  for 
the  courts  of  law  to  pronounce  the  stories  libellous : 
the  great  societies  condemned  "  the  Boers,"  and  the 
great  societies  represented  and  led  public  opinion  in 
England. 

175 


176         CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1826  TO  1835. 

Something,  however,  must  be  said  on  the  other 
side.  The  inhabitants  of  the  Cape  Colony  were  not 
all  white  people,  and  the  British  government  tried  to 
do  what  it  held  to  be  justice  to  the  blacks.  Then 
the  whole  number  of  Dutch  colonists  was  only  equal 
to  the  population  of  a  third-class  English  town,  and 
their  sentiments  must  have  been  regarded  as  of  little 
importance  by  those  who  were  guiding  the  destinies 
of  a  mighty  empire.  To  make  them  fall  into  line 
with  the  notions  of  the  day  in  Great  Britain  seemed 
not  only  easy,  but  the  correct  policy  to  carry  out. 
No  one  imagined  that  they  were  capable  of  making 
any  effectual  opposition. 

In  1828  the  whole  of  the  courts  of  justice  in  the 
Cape  Colony  were  remodelled  after  the  English 
pattern.  In  the  country  districts  the  landdrosts  and 
heemraden  were  done  away  with,  and  in  their  stead 
civil  commissioners,  resident  magistrates,  and  justices 
of  the  peace  were  created.  A  supreme  court  was 
established,  with  judges  appointed  by  the  crown  and 
independent  of  the  governor,  and  though  the  Dutch 
code  of  law  was  retained,  the  forms  of  procedure 
were  assimilated  to  those  customary  in  England. 
Since  that  time  criminal  cases  have  been  tried  by  a 
single  judge  and  a  jury  of  nine  men,  whose  verdict 
must  be  unanimous  in  order  to  convict. 

At  the  same  time  the  burgher  senate  was  abolished, 
and  the  government  took  upon  itself  the  municipal 
and  other  duties  previously  performed  by  that  body. 
As  if  these  sweeping  changes  were  not  sufficient 
irritation  for  the  old  colonists,  a  notice  was  issued 
that  all  documents  addressed    to  the  government 


INJUDICIOUS  MEASURES. 


177 


must  be  written  in  English  or  have  a  translation 
attached,  otherwise  they  would  be  returned  to  those 
who  sent  them. 

A  little  later  one  of  the  judges  removed  the 
criminal  cases  from  the  circuit  court  at  Worcester 
to  Capetown  for  trial,  on  the  ground  that  there  was 
not  a  sufficient  number  of  English-speaking  men  to 
form  a  jury  at  Worcester,  though  the  prisoners  and 
the  witnesses  spoke  Dutch  only,  and  every  word  that 
they  said  had  to  be  translated  to  the  court.  The 
judges  were  divided  in  opinion  whether  it  was  neces- 
sary for  jurymen  in  every  case  to  understand  English, 
and  the  question  remained  open  until  1831,  when 
an  ordinance  was  issued  defining  their  qualifications, 
among  which  a  knowledge  of  English  was  not 
included.  In  the  interval,  however,  the  burghers, 
who  regarded  their  exclusion  from  the  jury-box  as  an 
insult,  were  deeply  incensed.  But  they  sent  in  no 
memorials,  because  they  would  not  be  driven  to  have 
them  written  in  English,  and  there  was  little  hope  of 
success  had  they  even  done  so. 

And  now  was  heard  the  first  murmuring  of  a  cry 
that  a  few  years  later  resounded  through  the  colony, 
and  men  and  women  began  to  talk  of  the  regions 
laid  waste  by  the  Zulu  wars,  if  it  might  not  be 
possible  to  find  there  a  refuge  from  British  rule. 

One  measure,  however,  was  carried  out  at  this  time 
which  gave  general  satisfaction.  The  salaries  of  the 
officials  sent  from  England  had  been  far  beyond 
the  means  of  the  colony,  and  they  were  now  greatly 
reduced. 

The  condition  of  the  Hottentots  and  other  free 
13 


178         CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1S26  TO  1835. 


coloured  people  had  long  been  a  subject  of  discussion 
in  England,  where  it  was  commonly  believed  that 
they  were  treated  with  much  injustice.  In  reality  it 
was  not  so,  though  there  certainly  were  instances  of 
ill  usage,  just  as  there  are  outrages  in  all  countries 
of  the  world. 

After  November  1809  Hottentots  were  not  allowed 
to  wander  over  the  country  without  passes,  and  after 
April  1812  Hottentot  children  born  while  their 
parents  were  in  service,  and  maintained  for  eight 
years  by  the  employers  of  their  parents,  were  bound 
as  apprentices  for  ten  years  longer.  In  the  opinion 
of  the  governor  who  made  this  law  it  was  better 
for  the  children  that  they  should  acquire  industrious 
habits,  even  if  restraint  had  to  be  used,  than  that  they 
should  become  vagrants.  The  reverend  Dr.  Philip, 
however,  who  was  superintendent  of  the  London 
society's  missions  in  South  Africa,  claimed  for  people 
of  all  colours  and  conditions  exactly  the  same  treat- 
ment ;  and  as  the  great  philanthropical  societies  of 
England  supported  him,  he  was  virtually  master  of 
the  position. 

In  July  1828  an  ordinance  was  issued  which 
relieved  the  Hottentots  and  other  free  coloured 
people  from  the  laws  concerning  passes  and  the 
apprenticeship  of  children,  and  placed  them  in  all  re- 
spects on  a  political  level  with  Europeans.  From  that 
time  the  colony  was  overrun  by  idle  wanderers  to 
such  an  extent  that  farming  could  hardly  be  made  to 
pay,  and  the  coloured  people  were  falling  back  in  the 
scale  of  civilisation  ;  but  when  an  attempt  was  made 
a  few  years  later  to  get  a  vagrant  act  proclaimed, 


THE  KAT  RIVER  SETTLEMENT. 


Dr.  Philip  and  his  party  opposed  the  measure  so 
strenuously  that  it  had  to  be  abandoned. 

Sir  Lowry  Cole,  who  became  governor  in  1828, 
caused  between  two  and  three  thousand  Hottentots 
and  people  of  mixed  blood  to  be  located  at  the  Kat 
river,  in  the  territory  ceded  by  Gaika  to  the  colony. 
Several  small  streams  unite  to  form  this  river,  and  in 
their  valleys  the  land  is  easily  irrigated  and  is  of  great 
fertility.  In  the  best  places  settlements  were  formed, 
each  divided  into  plots  of  from  four  to  six  acres 
in  extent,  upon  which  a  family  was  placed.  The 
ground  between  the  settlements  was  to  remain  as  a 
commonage,  each  family  having  the  right  to  graze 
cattle  on  it.  The  settlers  were  to  remain  five  years 
on  trial,  at  the  end  of  which  period  those  who  had 
built  cottages  and  tilled  the  ground  were  to  receive 
grants  in  freehold,  but  every  plot  not  improved 
within  that  time  was  to  revert  to  government.  For 
a  while  the  settlement  appeared  to  flourish.  The 
government  supplied  seed  corn,  furrows  for  leading 
out  water  were  made,  and  a  large  extent  of  ground 
was  brought  under  cultivation.  In  the  course  of 
a  few  years,  however,  it  was  seen  that  the  pure 
Hottentots  could  not  sustain  such  efforts  beyond 
two  or  three  seasons,  but  there  were  many  half- 
breeds  among  those  to  whom  plots  of  ground  were 
assigned,  and  they  formed  a  more  stable  class. 

Early  in  1834  Sir  Benjamin  D'Urban  arrived  as 
governor,  with  instructions  from  the  secretary  of 
state  to  carry  out  several  important  measures.  The 
first  was  retrenchment  of  expenditure  on  a  very 
extensive   scale,  as  the  colonial  revenue  was  less 


l8o         CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1826  TO  1835. 


than  the  outlay,  and  the  public  debt  was  increasing. 
Various  offices  were  now  combined,  so  that  one 
man  had  to  do  the  work  previously  performed  by  two, 
and  all  salaries  were  greatly  reduced.  The  outlay 
on  roads,  buildings,  and,  indeed,  everything  main- 
tained by  the  government,  was  cut  down  as  much 
as  possible. 

The  second  measure  was  a  slight  change  in  the 
form  of  government,  caused  by  the  creation  of 
distinct  legislative  and  executive  councils.  The 
colonists  had  often  sent  petitions  to  England  to  be 
allowed  to  have  a  representative  assembly,  but  these 
had  always  failed.  At  length,  however,  the  imperial 
authorities  resolved  to  make  the  government  of  the 
Cape  appear  a  little  less  despotic,  and  for  this 
purpose  a  legislative  council  was  created.  It  con- 
sisted of  the  governor,  as  president,  five  of  the 
highest  officials,  and  five  colonists  selected  by  the 
governor.  Its  power  can  be  inferred  from  a  remark 
of  Sir  George  Napier  to  one  of  the  unofficial 
members  who  was  combating  the  government  view 
of  a  question  :  "  You  may  spare  your  breath  in  this 
matter,  everything  of  importance  is  settled  before 
it  comes  here."  Still  it  was  a  step — though  a  very 
short  one — in  the  right  direction. 

The  council  of  advice  previously  existing  now 
became  an  executive  council,  and  was  made  to 
consist  of  four  high  officials. 

The  third  special  object  which  Sir  Benjamin 
D'Urban  was  instructed  to  carry  into  effect  was 
the  emancipation  of  the  slaves. 

As  long  as  the  Dutch  East  India  Company  held 


CONDITION  OF  THE  SLAVES. 


181 


the  colony  slaves  were  brought  into  it,  but  not  in 
very  large  numbers,  for  their  services  were  only 
needed  to  a  limited  extent.  During  the  first  British 
occupation  a  great  many  were  imported,  as  the  trade 
was  then  profitable,  and  English  energy  was  employed 
in  it.  The  Batavian  government,  being  opposed  to 
the  system,  allowed  very  few  to  be  landed,  and  had 
it  lasted  a  couple  of  years  longer,  every  child  born 
thereafter  would  have  been  declared  free. 

The  suppression  of  the  foreign  slave  trade  by  the 
British  government  followed  so  closely  upon  the 
second  conquest  of  the  colony,  that  there  was  only 
time  in  the  interval  for  five  hundred  negroes  to  be 
imported.  From  that  date  the  increase  in  the 
number  of  slaves  was  due  to  the  large  excess  of 
births  over  deaths. 

There  never  was  an  attempt  in  South  Africa  to 
defend  the  system  in  theory.  Indeed,  it  was  a 
common  remark  that  it  was  worse  for  the  white 
man,  who  had  all  the  care  and  anxiety,  than  for 
the  negro,  who  had  only  manual  labour  to  perform. 
But  it  is  not  easy  to  disturb  any  system,  good  or 
bad,  upon  which  the  habits  of  a  people  have  been 
formed,  and  in  the  Cape  Colony  money  to  the 
amount  of  over  three  million  pounds  sterling  was 
invested  in  slaves. 

The  testimony  of  every  one  competent  to  form  a 
correct  opinion  concurred  that  in  no  other  part  of  the 
world  was  bondage  so  light.  Except  in  planting 
and  harvesting  the  labour  of  the  negroes  was  easy, 
and  they  certainly  did  not  feel  themselves  degraded 
by  compulsory  service.    They  were  the  most  light- 


182         CAPE  COLOXY  FROM  1826  TO  1835 


hearted  of  mortals.  The  English  governors  were 
of  opinion  that  the}'  enjoyed  more  comfort  than 
labourers  in  Great  Britain,  and  that  the  Dutch  laws 
gave  them  sufficient  protection  against  ill-usage.  To 
judge  of  their  condition  by  imagining  what  a  Euro- 
pean would  feel  in  a  similar  state  leads  to  a  false 
conclusion,  for  their  hereditary  training  and  line  of 
thought  were  entirely  different. 

In  1 8 1 6  laws  began  to  be  made  for  reducing  the 
power  of  the  masters  and  conferring  rights  upon  the 
slaves,  and  almost  even-  year  they  increased  in  strin- 
gency. For  some  time  the  colonists  made  no  objec- 
tion to  them,  but  at  length  control  over  dependents 
was  so  limited  that  many  negroes  became  insubordi- 
nate. Public  meetings  were  then  held,  at  which  the 
opinion  was  maintained  that  the  ties  between  master 
and  slave  were  too  weakened  to  bear  further  strain- 
ing. A  resolution  was  passed  with  one  voice  at  a 
meeting  of  slaveholders  at  Graaff-Reinet,  and  was 
generally  agreed  to  in  the  other  districts,  that  if  the 
English  government  would  stop  irritating  legisla- 
tion they  would  consent  that  from  the  date  of  the 
arrangement  all  female  children  should  be  free  at 
birth,  in  order  that  slavery  might  gradually  die  out. 

Another  plan  was  adopted  by  a  few  well-meaning 
persons  in  Capetown,  who  formed  a  society  for  aiding 
deserving  slaves  and  slave  children  to  purchase  their 
freedom.  The  society  collected  subscriptions,  and 
turned  its  attention  chiefly  to  the  emancipation  of 
young  girls.  It  hoped  to  receive  aid  in  money  from 
the  British  treasury  and  from  benevolent  persons  in 
England,  but  was  disappointed  in  both.    With  means 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVES. 


I83 


limited  almost  entirely  to  colonial  subscriptions,  how- 
ever, it  was  able  to  purchase  the  freedom  of  about 
twenty-five  girls  yearly. 

In  England  neither  of  these  plans  met  with  favour. 

In  1830  an  order  in  council  was  issued  prescribing 
the  quantity  and  quality  of  food  to  be  given  to  slaves, 
the  clothing  that  should  be  provided  for  them,  the 
hours  during  which  they  should  not  be  obliged  to 
work,  and  many  other  matters.  It  was  followed  in 
1 83 1  by  another  order  in  council,  limiting  the  hours 
of  slave  labour  to  nine  daily,  and  nearly  destroying 
the  owners'  authority.  The  excitement  was  now 
so  great  that  the  governor  thought  it  necessary  to 
prohibit  public  meetings  and  to  threaten  to  banish 
any  one  who  should  attempt  to  disturb  the  peace. 

As  soon  as  the  clamour  subsided,  however,  he  gave 
his  consent  to  a  public  meeting  being  held,  and 
about  two  thousand  slaveholders  came  together  in 
Capetown.  The  utmost  order  was  observed,  though 
resolutions  were  carried  that  the  lately  made  laws 
were  highly  unjust.  The  whole  assembly  then 
marched  to  the  open  space  in  front  of  government 
house,  when  two  gentlemen  were  deputed  to  inform 
the  governor  that  the  slaveholders  were  prepared  to 
suffer  the  penalties  of  the  orders  in  council,  but  could 
not  obey  them. 

The  strain  upon  the  colonists  was  so  great  that  it 
was  felt  as  a  relief  when  in  August  1833  an  emanci- 
pation act,  to  have  force  in  all  the  British  posses- 
sions, was  passed  by  the  imperial  parliament.  For 
the  Cape  Colony  it  provided  that  on  the  1st  of 
December  1834  slavery  was  to  cease,  and  after  a 


184         CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1826  TO  1835. 


short  term  of  apprenticeship  the  negroes  were  to 
have  exactly  the  same  civil  rights  as  white  people. 
The  sum  of  twenty  million  pounds  sterling  was  voted 
to  compensate  the  owners  in  the  nineteen  slave  colo- 
nies of  Great  Britain,  and  the  share  of  each  colony 
was  to  be  determined  by  the  appraised  value  of  its 
slaves. 

There  was  a  general  impression  that  this  money 
would  suffice  to  meet  the  whole,  or  nearly  the  whole, 
value  of  the  slaves,  and  as  most  people  believed  that 
a  vagrant  act  would  be  passed  before  the  day  of 
emancipation,  they  were  disposed  to  accept  the  new 
condition  of  things  without  demur  or  heartburning. 

There  were  then  in  the  colony  thirty-nine  thousand 
slaves,  of  whom  between  three  and  four  thousand 
were  aged  or  infirm,  and  the  others  were  appraised 
at  rather  over  three  million  pounds  sterling. 

The  year  1835  was  well  advanced  when  intelli- 
gence was  received  from  England  that  the  returns 
for  all  the  colonies  were  complete,  and  that  of  the 
twenty  millions  sterling  the  share  awarded  to  the 
Cape  was  a  little  less  than  one  million  and  a  quarter. 
The  intelligence  created  a  panic  greater  than  any 
ever  known  before  in  South  Africa.  Many  of  the 
late  slaves  were  mortgaged  to  the  various  institutions 
for  lending  money,  and  every  bond  contained  a  clause 
covering  all  other  property.  At  once  there  was  a 
demand  for  the  redemption  of  the  bonds,  and  goods 
and  effects  were  sold  at  any  price  that  could  be 
obtained.  In  some  instances  slaves  had  been  the 
sole  property  of  widows,  or  minors,  or  aged  people,  and 
the  late  owners  were  at  once  reduced  to  indigence. 


EFFECTS  OF  THE  EMANCIPATION. 


I85 


But  the  whole  loss  was  not  even  yet  known. 
Succeeding  mails  brought  information  that  the  im- 
perial government  would  not  send  the  money  to 
South  Africa,  but  that  each  claim  would  have  to  be 
proved  before  commissioners  in  London,  when  the 
amount  allowed  would  be  paid  in  stock,  after  certain 
charges  were  deducted.  This  decision  brought  into 
the  country  a  swarm  of  petty  agents,  who  purchased 
claims  at  perhaps  half  their  real  value,  so  that  a 
colonist,  instead  of  receiving  two-fifths  of  the  ap- 
praised value  of  his  slaves,  often  received  only  one- 
fifth  or  one-sixth. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  picture  too  darkly  the 
misery  caused  by  this  confiscation  of  two  millions' 
worth  of  the  property  of  a  small  and  not  over 
flourishing  community.  Some  families  never  reco- 
vered from  the  blow.  Aged  men  and  women  who 
had  not  before  known  want  went  down  to  the  grave 
penniless,  and  in  hundreds  of  the  best  households 
of  the  country  the  pinch  of  poverty  was  sorely  felt. 
Emancipation  in  itself  assuredly  was  a  righteous  act, 
for  there  can  be  nothing  more  abominable  than  one 
man  holding  another  as  property  ;  but  a  vast  amount 
of  distress  might  have  been  prevented  by  effecting  it 
in  the  manner  that  the  colonists  proposed. 

In  addition  to  the  direct  loss,  the  wheat  and  wine 
farmers  for  many  years  were  unable  to  bring  as  much 
produce  to  market  as  before,  owing  to  the  scarcity  of 
labour.  One  industry  only — but  that  afterwards  a 
very  important  one, — the  breeding  of  merino  sheep 
for  the  sake  of  wool,  received  a  great  impetus  from 
the  emancipation  of  the  slaves,  for  it  could  be  carried 


1 86         CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1826  TO  1835. 


on  with  fewer  workmen  than  were  required  in  agri- 
culture. 

The  liberated  slaves  mostly  flocked  into  the  towns 
and  villages,  where  missionary  and  philanthropic 
energy  in  all  conceivable  forms  has  ever  since  been 
expended  upon  them  and  their  descendants.  In 
general  they  can  now  exist  by  working  perhaps  half 
as  many  hours  as  before  the  emancipation,  for  much 
of  their  time  is  passed  in  idleness ;  but  they  are 
neither  more  comfortably  clothed  or  better  fed  or 
housed,  nor — with  few  exceptions — have  they  made 
any  perceptible  intellectual  advancement. 

On  the  other  hand,  they  have  probably  improved 
in  morals,  very  many  of  those  who  attend  the  mission 
chapels  certainly  have.  As  free  agents  their  plea- 
sures continue  to  be  of  a  low  order.  Given  any 
noisy  musical  instrument,  a  bright  sun,  and  a  gaudy 
dress,  and  their  mirth  is  unattainable  by  Europeans. 
Without  energy,  or  ambition,  or  a  thought  of  the 
responsibility  of  life,  they  manage  to  pass  their  days 
in  an  easy  and  joyous  manner. 

Three  of  the  special  duties  assigned  to  Sir  Ben- 
jamin D' Urban  have  been  mentioned  :  another  was 
to  enter  into  treaties  of  friendship  with  the  native 
chiefs  beyond  the  colonial  frontier. 

Both  on  the  north  and  the  east  the  border  was  then 
in  a  disturbed  condition.  There  was  a  band  of  free- 
booters— mostly  Hottentots — plundering  the  graziers 
of  the  northern  districts,  and  as  their  haunts  were  on 
some  islands  in  the  Orange  river,  which  were  covered 
with  jungle  and  very  difficult  of  access  to  strangers, 
they  were  able  to  set  their  pursuers  at  defiance. 


TREATY  WITH  WATERBOER. 


187 


Farther  up  the  river  a  petty  Griqua  captain,  named 
Andries  Waterboer,  was  living,  and  through  the 
agency  of  his  missionary  a  treaty  was  entered  into 
with  him.  He  was  to  receive  £100  a  year  as  a 
subsidy  for  himself  and  ^50  a  year  for  a  mission 
school,  he  was  provided  with  two  hundred  muskets 
and  a  quantity  of  ammunition,  and  he  engaged  in 
return  to  be  a  faithful  friend  and  ally  of  the  colony 
and  to  preserve  peace  along  the  border  from  Kheis 
to  Ramah.  This  was  the  first  treaty  of  the  kind  ever 
made  in  South  Africa,  and  it  was  the  only  one  that 
answered  its  purpose.  Waterboer  kept  his  engage- 
ment, and  the  freebooters  were  rooted  out. 

Sir  Benjamin  D'Urban  intended  to  visit  the  eastern 
frontier  to  make  similar  arrangements  with  the 
Kosa  chiefs,  but  was  detained  in  Capetown  by 
pressing  business,  and  before  he  had  been  a  year  in 
the  colony  the  sixth  Kaffir  war  commenced. 

The  plan  of  Lord  Charles  Somerset  to  keep  the 
tract  of  land  between  the  Fish  and  Keiskama  rivers 
unoccupied  soon  proved  a  failure,  as  robbers  made 
their  way  across  it  without  difficulty.  Then  clans  of 
Kosas  supposed  to  be  friendly — among  others  those 
under  two  sons  of  Gaika  named  Makoma  and  Tyali 
— were  allowed  to  occupy  the  ground,  in  hope  that 
they  would  prevent  cattle-lifters  passing  through. 
But  they  proved  to  be  as  expert  and  unscrupulous 
robbers  as  ever  the  followers  of  Ndlambe  had  been, 
and  it  became  necessary  to  make  reprisals  upon 
them  just  as  upon  the  others.  After  a  while 
Ndlambe  and  one  of  his  sons  were  recognised  by  the 
government  as  chiefs  of  the  people  who  through  all 


l88         CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1826  TO  1835. 


their  troubles  had  adhered  to  them,  and  from  that 
moment  the  sons  of  Gaika  regarded  the  Europeans 
as  enemies. 

Their  conduct  now  became  so  bad  that  the 
governor  was  obliged  to  remove  first  one  and  then 
the  other  from  the  ceded  territory,  and  this,  of  course, 
created  a  strong  feeling  of  resentment  on  their 
part.  In  1829  Gaika  died,  leaving  a  young  lad 
named  Sandile  as  his  principal  heir,  when  Makoma's 
power  was  greatly  increased,  as  he  became  regent  for 
his  half-brother.  Ndlambe  had  died  in  the  preceding 
year,  and  quarrels  arose  among  his  sons  and  grand- 
sons, some  of  whom  allied  themselves  with  Makoma 
to  gain  support.  Thus  it  happened  that  the  family 
whose  position  the  government  had  done  so  much 
to  build  up  was  now  both  strong  and  hostile. 

A  rupture  had  long  been  threatening,  when  some 
Kosas,  by  stealing  the  horses  of  the  officers  at  Fort 
Beaufort,  drew  a  party  of  soldiers  into  a  quarrel  in 
which  a  petty  captain  was  slightly  wounded  and 
some  cattle  belonging  to  Tyali  were  seized.  This  was 
announced  by  the  chiefs  to  be  a  declaration  of  war, 
and  a  few  days  later — 21st  of  December  1834 — 
between  twelve  and  twenty  thousand  warriors  made 
a  sudden  rush  into  the  colony,  swept  off  nearly  all  the 
cattle  east  of  the  Sunday  river,  burned  the  houses, 
and  murdered  every  white  man  who  could  not 
escape.  Among  others,  most  of  the  British  settlers 
of  1820  who  were  living  on  farms  were  reduced  to 
destitution.  The  unfortunate  people  had  barely  time 
to  flee  to  Grahamstown,  Bathurst,  or  some  other  place 
of  refuge,  and  were  compelled  to  abandon  everything. 


SIXTH  KAFFIR  WAR. 


189 


When  intelligence  of  the  invasion  reached  Cape- 
town, Colonel — afterwards  Sir  Harry — Smith  hastened 
to  the  frontier,  and  began  to  organise  a  force  to 
operate  against  the  Kosas.  The  governor  followed 
as  speedily  as  possible.  The  burghers  all  over  the 
colony  were  called  out,  and  as  soon  as  they  could 
muster,  an  advance  was  made  into  Kaffirland,  the 
raiders  having  in  the  meantime  retired  to  the  fast- 
nesses of  their  own  country,  after  sending  the  cattle 
over  the  Kei  to  be  guarded  by  Hintsa. 

The  Kosas,  as  is  their  custom,  refused  to  meet 
the  Europeans  on  open  ground,  and  it  was  no  easy 
matter  to  deprive  them  of  their  strongholds.  They 
simply  retired  from  one  jungle  to  another,  after 
resisting  as  long  as  they  could,  and  reoccupied  every 
place  that  was  not  well  guarded  after  being  taken. 
To  meet  this  difficulty,  Sir  Benjamin  D'Urban 
formed  several  camps  in  commanding  positions,  from 
which  patrols  could  be  sent  out  frequently  to  scour 
the  forests  in  their  neighbourhood.  It  was  the  only 
plan  open  to  him,  but  the  country  was  too  large  to  be 
held  in  subjection  in  this  way  by  the  force  at  his 
disposal. 

As  soon  as  this  arrangement  was  completed,  the 
governor  crossed  the  Kei  with  a  considerable  army 
to  recover  the  cattle.  Messages  were  sent  to  Hintsa 
offering  peace  if  he  would  give  them  up,  but  for  some 
time  he  made  no  reply.  Colonel  Smith  was  then 
directed  to  scour  his  country,  and  met  with  such 
success  that  the  chief  himself  came  to  the  British 
camp  and  agreed  to  the  terms  demanded.  He  left 
his  son  Kreli  and  one  of  his  brothers  as  hostages  with 


igo         CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1 826  TO  1835. 


Sir  Benjamin  D'Urban,  and  volunteered  to  guide  a 
detachment  of  troops  and  burghers  under  Colonel 
Smith  to  the  place  where  the  cattle  were  kept  ;  but 
on  the  way  he  attempted  to  escape,  and  was  shot 
dead  by  a  colonist  who  pursued  him. 

Kreli  succeeded  his  father  as  paramount  chief  of 


PORTRAIT  OF  HINTSA. 
{From  a  Sketch  by  Captain  Michel  I.) 


the  Kosa  tribe,  and  peace  was  concluded  with  him 
upon  his  undertaking  to  restore  the  cattle  in  instal- 
ments. The  clans  west  of  the  Kei  were  still  holding 
out,  but  in  September  1835  they  tendered  their 
submission,  and  hostilities  came  to  an  end. 

The  arrangements  made  by  Sir  Benjamin  D'Urban 


THE  PROVINCE  OF  QUEEN  ADELAIDE.  191 


for  the  preservation  of  peace  were  such  as  every  one 
approves  of  at  the  present  day.  He  brought  some 
eighteen  thousand  Fingos  from  beyond  the  Kei,  and 
gave  them  ground  between  the  Keiskama  and  Fish 
rivers,  where  they  would  form  a  buffer  for  the 
colonists.  They  and  the  Kosas  hated  each  other 
bitterly,  and  this  feeling  was  deepened  by  their 
appropriating  and  taking  with  them  twenty- two 
thousand  head  of  cattle  belonging  to  Kreli's  people. 
It  was  thus  to  their  interest  to  act  honestly  towards 
the  Europeans,  whose  support  alone  could  save  them 
from  destruction.  Between  the  Keiskama  and  the 
Kei  the  western  Kosa  clans  were  located  as  British 
subjects,  but  a  great  deal  of  authority  was  left  to  the 
chiefs.  The  territory  was  named  the  Province  of 
Queen  Adelaide,  and  Colonel  Smith  was  stationed 
at  a  place  in  it  which  was  called  King-Williamstown, 
to  command  the  troops  and  control  the  chiefs.  This 
plan  of  settlement  commended  itself  to  the  great 
majority  of  the  colonists  and  of  the  missionaries,  who 
hoped  that  under  it  the  Kosas  would  make  rapid 
advances  towards  civilisation  and  that  property  on 
the  border  would  be  secure. 

There  was,  however,  in  Capetown — five  hundred 
miles  from  the  Kaffir  frontier — a  party  under  the 
leadership  of  the  reverend  Dr.  Philip,  that  entirely 
disapproved  of  the  governor's  plans.  It  was  composed 
of  only  a  few  individuals,  but  it  had  powerful  support 
from  abroad.  This  party  desired  the  formation  of 
states  ruled  by  Bantu  chiefs  under  the  guidance  of 
missionaries,  and  from  which  Europeans  not  favoured 
by  missionaries  should  be  excluded.    It  maintained 


192 


CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1826  TO  1S35 


the  theory  that  the  Kosas  were  an  eminently  docile 
and  peaceably  disposed  people,  who  could  easily  be 
taught  to  do  what  was  right,  and  who  must  therefore 
have  been  provoked  to  take  up  arms  by  great  wrongs 
and  cruelties.  The  utmost  fear  was  expressed  by 
its  members  that  the  Bantu  tribes  would  perish  if 
exposed  to  free  intercourse  with  white  people. 

To  push  his  views  Dr.  Philip  visited  England  with 
a  Kosa  and  a  half-breed  Hottentot  who  had  been 
trained  by  missionaries.  A  committee  of  the  house 
of  commons  was  at  the  time  collecting  information 
upon  the  aborigines  in  British  colonies,  and  Dr. 
Philip  appeared  before  it.  His  evidence  was  received 
at  great  length,  and  though  it  consisted  largely  of 
opinion,  it  was  allowed  to  outweigh  that  of  the 
officers  of  greatest  experience  in  South  African 
affairs. 

Before  the  committee  of  the  house  of  commons 
appeared  also  a  disappointed  retired  official  from  the 
colony,  Captain  Andries  Stockenstrom,  who  de- 
nounced the  proceedings  of  the  government  on  the 
eastern  frontier  as  unjust  and  oppressive.  He  asserted 
his  belief  that  there  were  civilised  nations  in  which 
the  proportion  of  thieves  was  greater  than  among  the 
Kosas,  and  he  was  of  opinion  that  treaties  could  be 
made  with  the  chiefs  by  which  cattle-lifting  could  be 
suppresed. 

No  evidence  could  have  been  more  gratifying 
to  the  earl  Glenelg,  who  in  April  1835  became 
secretary  of  state  for  the  colonies.  He  held  the 
same  views  as  Dr.  Philip,  and  here  was  Captain 
Stockenstrom,  a   South  African  by   birth,  in  full 


ACTION  OF  EARL  GLENELG. 


1 93 


accord  with  him.  The  secretary  resolved  at  once 
to  undo  all  that  Sir  Benjamin  D'Urban  had  done. 
In  a  despatch,  dated  the  26th  of  December  1835,  he 
announced  that  the  sovereignty  over  the  country 
between  the  Keiskama  and  the  Kei  must  be  with- 
drawn, because  "  it  rested  upon  a  war  in  which  the 
original  justice  was  on  the  side  of  the  conquered, 
not  of  the  victorious  party."  He  asserted  that  "  the 
Kosas  had  an  ample  justification  of  the  war  in  the 
conduct  which  was  pursued  towards  them  by  the 
colonists  and  the  public  authorities  through  a  long 
series  of  years,  they  were  urged  to  revenge  and  des- 
peration by  the  systematic  injustice  of  which  they 
had  been  the  victims,  and  they  had  a  perfect  right  to 
endeavour  to  extort  by  force  that  redress  which  they 
could  not  expect  otherwise  to  obtain."  He  added 
that  a  lieutenant-governor  would  immediately  be 
appointed  for  the  eastern  districts,  who  would  be 
entrusted  with  authority  to  arrange  border  affairs  in 
accordance  with  his  views. 

The  contents  of  this  despatch  spread  consternation 
widely  over  South  Africa.  Outside  of  Dr.  Philip's 
little  party  in  Capetown  there  was  but  one  opinion  : 
that  it  destroyed  all  hope  of  the  preservation  of 
order,  and  placed  life  and  whatever  property  was  left 
in  the  eastern  districts  at  the  mercy  of  the  Kosas. 
The  next  mail  brought  tidings  that  Captain  Stocken- 
strom  had  been  appointed  lieutenant-governor,  and 
might  shortly  be  expected.  The  British  settlers  at 
once  sent  an  earnest  protest  to  England,  with  an 
appeal  for  a  close  investigation  of  all  occurrences  on 
the  border,  but  they  could  obtain  no  redress.  Sir 


194         CAPE  COLONY  FROM  1826  TO  1835. 

Benjamin  D'Urban  wrote,  pointing  out  that  the 
colonists  at  any  rate  were  free  of  blame,  as  they  had 
no  voice  in  devising  the  various  modes  of  dealing 
with  the  Kosas  that  had  been  in  force,  but  the  only 
result  was  his  dismissal  from  office.  To  the  Dutch 
colonists  in  the  frontier  districts  who  still  possessed 
the  means  of  moving  there  seemed  to  be  but  one 
course  open  :  to  flee  from  British  rule,  and  to  seek 
a  new  home  somewhere  in  the  vast  wilderness  left 
unpeopled  by  the  wars  of  Tshaka. 


XVI. 


GREAT  EMIGRATION  FROM  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 
EXPULSION  OF  MOSELEKATSE  FROM  THE 
TERRITORY    SOUTH    OF    THE  LIMPOPO. 

To  people  in  England  one  of  the  strangest  events 
of  the  present  century  is  the  abandonment  of  their 
homes  by  thousands  of  Cape  colonists  after  1836, 
and  their  braving  all  the  hardships  of  life  in  the 
wilderness  for  no  other  cause  than  to  be  free  of 
British  rule.  Yet  there  is  nothing  to  cause  surprise 
in  the  matter,  if  the  character  of  the  Dutch  people  is 
considered.  These  colonists  were  of  the  same  blood 
as  the  men  who  withstood  the  great  power  of  Philip 
II  of  Spain,  who  laid  the  richest  part  of  their 
country  under  water  rather  than  surrender  it  to 
Louis  XIV  of  France.  They  were  not  the  men  and 
women  to  submit  to  what  they  believed  to  be  mis- 
rule, if  there  was  a  possibility  of  successful  resistance 
or  a  chance  of  making  their  escape. 

Many  of  them,  as  we  have  seen,  were  accustomed 
to  live  in  waggons  and  to  subsist  to  a  large  extent 
upon  game,  so  that  moving  deeper  into  the  continent 
was  in  itself  no  great  difficulty.    Before  them  was  a 

195 


I96      GREAT  EMIGRATION  FROM  THE  CAPE. 


great  waste  swarming  with  wild  animals,  what  wonder 
that  they  should  move  into  it  with  such  powerful 
motives  to  urge  them  on. 

Let  us  look  again  briefly  at  the  grievances  which 
determined  their  conduct  First,  there  was  subjection 
by  a  foreign  and  unsympathetic  government.  Second, 
there  was  the  prohibition  of  their  language  in  the 
public  offices  and  courts  of  law.  Third,  there  was 
the  superintendent  of  the  London  missionary  society, 
their  ablest  and  most  relentless  opponent,  in  posses- 
sion of  boundless  influence  with  the  British  authorities. 
Fourth,  there  were  the  slanderous  statements  made 
by  the  philanthropic  societies  in  England  concerning 
them.  Fifth,  there  was  the  sudden  emancipation  of 
their  slaves  without  adequate  compensation.  Sixth, 
there  was  the  whole  mass  of  the  coloured  people  placed 
upon  a  political  footing  with  them,  and  that  without 
a  vagrant  act  being  put  into  force.  Seventh,  there 
was  no  security  for  life  or  property  in  the  eastern 
districts,  which  were  exposed  to  invasion  by  the 
Kosas,  as  the  secretary  of  state  took  part  with  the 
barbarians.  These  were  the  chief  causes  of  the  great 
emigration,  and  there  were  many  others  of  less 
importance. 

And  now  all  over  the  frontier  districts  the  great 
waggons  were  laden  with  household  goods  and  pro- 
visions and  ammunition,  and  bands  of  people  set  out 
to  seek  a  new  home  in  the  north.  Each  party  was 
usually  made  up  of  families  related  to  each  other, 
and  the  man  of  greatest  influence  in  it  was  elected 
its  leader,  with  the  title  of  commandant.  The  horned 
cattle,  horses,  sheep,  and  goats  were  driven  slowly  on, 


FATE  OF  THE  FIRST  PARTY. 


197 


and  often  when  the  pasture  was  good  the  caravans 
would  rest  for  weeks  together.  They  went  up  from 
the  grass-covered  hills  along  the  coast  and  the  bare 
Karoo  farther  inland,  till  they  came  to  one  or  other 
of  the  steep  passes  into  the  elevated  basin  drained 
by  the  Orange  and  its  numerous  tributaries.  With 
twenty  to  thirty  oxen  before  each  waggon  they 
struggled  up,  and  then  went  on  without  difficulty 
down  the  long  slope  to  the  river  and  across  the  wide 
plains  of  the  present  Orange  Free  State. 

North  of  the  Orange,  the  emigrants  regarded  them- 
selves as  beyond  English  authority,  for  over  and  over 
again  it  had  been  officially  announced  that  Great 
Britain  would  not  enlarge  her  possessions  in  South 
Africa. 

The  first  party  that  left  the  colony  made  its  way 
northward  to  the  Zoutpansberg,  where  it  divided  into 
two  sections  of  about  fifty  individuals  each.  One  of 
these  sections  was  cut  off  by  a  band  of  blacks,  and 
all  its  members  except  two  children  were  murdered. 
The  other  attempted  to  explore  the  country  to 
Delagoa  Bay,  but  lost  its  cattle  by  the  tsetse,  and 
was  then  attacked  by  fever,  from  which  only  one  man 
and  barely  half  the  women  and  children  recovered. 
The  unfortunate  survivors  after  almost  incredible 
hardships  reached  Delagoa  Bay,  where  they  were 
very  kindly  treated  by  the  Portuguese  authorities, 
being  provided  with  food  and  shelter  until  their 
friends  could  send  a  vessel  from  Natal  to  rescue 
them. 

The  second  party  was  much  larger,  and  was  under 
the   leadership  of  a    man    of  considerable  ability, 


198      GREAT  EMIGRATION  FROM  THE  CAPE. 

named  Hendrik  Potgieter.  It  moved  slowly  on  until 
it  reached  the  banks  of  the  Vet  river,  a  tributary  of 
the  Vaal,  where  it  halted.  Potgieter  found  here  a 
native  captain  in  a  very  wretched  condition,  who 
claimed  to  be  the  descendant  of  chiefs  that  had  once 
ruled  over  numerous  followers  in  a  wide  expanse  of 
country.  Having  lived  long  in  fear  of  doing  any- 
thing that  might  bring  him  to  the  knowledge  of 
Moselekatse,  he  was  delighted  at  the  appearance  of 
the  white  people,  especially  when  he  received  from 
them  a  very  liberal  offer.  Potgieter  proposed  that  he 
should  sell  the  country  which  he  claimed,  except  a 
reserve  of  ample  size  for  himself  and  his  followers, 
and  receive  in  exchange  protection  and  a  small  herd 
of  cattle.  The  captain  at  once  consented,  and  then 
the  emigrants  took  possession  of  the  land  between 
the  Vet  and  Vaal  rivers,  some  of  them  even  moving 
beyond  the  Vaal. 

After  a  while  Commandant  Potgieter  and  eleven 
others  went  out  to  explore  the  country  northward, 
and  travelled  as  far  as  the  Zoutpansberg,  where  they 
were  much  pleased  with  the  fertility  of  the  soil  and 
the  rich  pasture.  They  believed  also  that  communi- 
cation with  the  outer  world  could  be  opened  through 
Delagoa  Bay,  so  that  the  country  seemed  to  offer 
every  advantage  that  could  be  desired  for  a  settle- 
ment. 

In  high  spirits  they  set  out  to  return  to  their 
families,  but  on  arriving  at  the  place  where  they  had 
left  the  last  waggons  they  were  struck  with  horror  by 
finding  that  many  of  their  friends  had  been  massacred 
in  a  dreadful  manner  not  long  before.     A  band  of 


ATTACK  BY  THE  MATABELE. 


199 


Moselekatse's  warriors,  while  traversing  the  country 
to  keep  it  from  being  occupied,  had  suddenly  come 
upon  a  little  party  of  white  people,  and  murdered 
all  who  could  not  escape.  Most  of  those  along  the 
Vaal,  however,  had  notice  in  time  to  draw  their 
waggons  around  them,  and,  when  attacked,  were  able 
to  beat  off  their  assailants.  The  Matabele  soldiers 
then  returned  to  the  Marikwa  for  reinforcements. 

Potgieter  immediately  selected  a  suitable  hill,  and 
formed  a  strong  lager  on  it,  by  lashing  fifty  waggons 
together  in  a  circle  and  filling  all  the  open  spaces 
except  a  narrow  entrance  with  thorn  trees.  He  had 
not  long  to  wait  before  the  Matabele  attacked  him. 
They  rushed  upon  the  lager  with  loud  hisses,  but 
were  received  with  a  deadly  fire  from  the  forty  men 
inside,  and  were  obliged  to  fall  back.  Again  they 
rushed  on  regardless  of  death,  and  strove  to  tear  the 
waggons  apart,  but  could  not.  The  forty  defenders 
of  the  lager  were  keeping  up  a  rapid  fire,  for  their 
wives  and  mothers  were  loading  spare  guns  for  their 
use.  As  a  last  resource  the  men  of  one  of  the 
Matabele  regiments  threw  their  spears  over  the 
waggons,  where  over  eleven  hundred  were  afterwards 
picked  up,  and  when  this  failed  they  withdrew,  but 
drove  off  the  whole  of  the  emigrants'  cattle.  They 
left  a  hundred  and  fifty-five  corpses  outside  the  lager. 

Potgieter's  party  was  now  in  great  distress.  In- 
cluding servants,  forty-six  of  its  members  had  been 
murdered,  and  the  survivors  were  in  a  solitary  waste 
without  the  means  of  moving  and  with  very  little  food. 
Fortunately,  however,  the  third  band  of  emigrants, 
under  Commandant  Gerrit  Maritz,  had  just  encamped 


200      GREAT  EMIGRATION  FROM   THE  CAPE. 


at  Thaba  Ntshu,  and  learning  what  had  happened, 
sent  oxen  to  bring  away  the  unfortunate  people  and 
their  effects. 

And  now  it  was  to  be  seen  what  metal  the  emi- 
grants were  made  of.  It  might  be  thought  that  with 
such  experience  they  would  have  retreated  at  once, 
but  the  idea  of  abandoning  their  project  never 
occurred  to  one  of  them.  Instead  of  fleeing  from 
Moselekatse,  they  resolved  to  attack  him  in  his  own 
kraal,  and  punish  him  severely  for  what  he  had  done. 
One  hundred  and  seven  farmers  mustered  for  this 
purpose,  and  with  them  went  forty  half-breeds  and  a 
few  blacks  to  look  after  the  horses.  A  deserter  from 
the  Matabele  army  volunteered  to  act  as  guide. 

So  thoroughly  depopulated  was  the  country  that 
not  an  individual  was  met  between  Thaba  Ntshu  and 
Mosega,  and  the  commando  under  Potgieter  and 
Maritz  was  able  to  surprise  the  southernmost  military 
kraal  of  the  Matabele  one  morning  at  break  of  day. 
Moselekatse  himself  was  not  there  at  the  time,  and 
the  induna  in  command  of  the  soldiers  happened  also 
to  be  absent.  This  was  a  fortunate  circumstance  for 
the  farmers.  The  soldiers  grasped  their  spears  and 
shields,  and  rushed  forward  ;  but  volleys  of  slugs 
drove  them  back  in  confusion,  and  there  was  no  one 
of  sufficient  authority  to  restore  order.  They  took  to 
flight,  and  were  hunted  by  the  farmers  until  the  sun 
was  high  overhead,  when  it  was  computed  that  at 
least  four  hundred  must  have  been  slain.  The  com- 
mando then  set  fire  to  the  kraal,  and  with  nearly 
seven  thousand  head  of  cattle  returned  to  Thaba 
Ntshu. 


THE  FIRST  CONSTITUTION. 


201 


After  this  Potgieter's  party  formed  a  camp  on  the 
Vet  river,  at  a  place  to  which  the  name  Winburg  was 
given  in  memory  of  the  recent  victory.  There  it  was 
strengthened  by  the  arrival  of  numerous  families 
from  the  colony. 

At  this  time  also  a  band  reached  Thaba  Ntshu 
from  the  Winterberg  with  a  very  able  man,  named 
Pieter  Retief,  as  its  head. 

On  the  6th  of  June  1837  a  general  assembly  of 
the  emigrants  was  held  at  Winburg,  when  a  pro- 
visional constitution,  consisting  of  nine  articles,  was 
adopted.  The  supreme  legislative  power  was  en- 
trusted to  a  single  elective  chamber  termed  the  volks- 
raad,  the  fundamental  law  was  declared  to  be  the 
Dutch,  a  court  of  landdrost  and  heemraden  was 
created,  and  the  chief  executive  authority  was  con- 
fided to  Mr.  Retief  with  the  title  of  commandant- 
general.  The  strong  feeling  of  antagonism  that  Dr. 
Philip  had  roused  is  shown  in  one  of  the  articles  of 
the  constitution,  which  provided  that  every  member 
of  the  community  and  all  who  should  thereafter 
join  them  must  take  an  oath  to  have  no  connection 
with  the  London  missionary  society.  That  body 
was  regarded  by  them  as  purely  a  political  institu- 
tion, advocating  and  spreading  principles  of  anarchy  ; 
and  they  regarded  it  as  something  like  blasphemy  to 
speak  of  its  superintendent  in  Capetown  as  a  minister 
of  the  gospel. 

Fresh  bands  of  emigrants  were  frequently  arriving, 
and  some  of  them  thought  it  would  be  better  to  go 
down  into  Natal  than  to  remain  on  the  highlands  of 
the  interior.    Pieter  Uys,  the  leader  of  one  of  these 


202      GREAT  EMIGRATION  FROM   THE  CAPE. 


bands,  had  visited  Natal  a  couple  of  years  before, 
and  waxed  eloquent  when  describing  its  beauty  and 
fertility.  Retief  himself  was  inclined  to  favour  a 
settlement  near  the  sea,  but  before  making  up  his 
mind  finally,  he  and  some  others  proceeded  to  inspect 
the  country  below  the  mountains  and  ascertain  if 
Dingan  would  dispose  of  it. 

While  they  were  away  the  second  expedition 
against  the  Matabele  set  out.  It  consisted  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty-five  farmers  in  two  divisions, 
under  Hendrik  Potgieter  and  Pieter  Uys.  Mosele- 
katse  was  found  on  the  Marikwa,  about  fifty  miles 
north  of  Mosega,  and  he  had  with  him  at  least  twelve 
thousand  warriors,  all  splendidly  trained  and  as  brave 
as  any  troops  that  ever  lived.  But  the  advantage  of 
the  farmers  in  their  guns  and  horses  was  so  great 
that  the  hundred  and  thirty-five  did  not  hesitate  to 
attack  a  force  which  was  to  theirs  as  ninety  to  one. 

For  nine  days  the  Matabele  tried  to  reach  their 
opponents,  but  all  their  efforts  were  in  vain.  The 
farmers  were  more  than  once  nearly  surrounded,  still 
their  plans  were  so  perfect  that  they  were  never 
quite  entrapped.  They  had  little  else  than  dried 
meat  to  live  upon,  and  they  had  no  resting-place  but 
the  bare  ground  with  a  saddle  for  a  pillow.  Only 
the  hardiest  of  men  and  horses  could  have  carried 
on  aggressive  operations  so  long. 

The  loss  of  the  Matabele  was  -great,  so  great  that 
at  the  end  of  the  nine  days  Moselekatse  gave  up  the 
contest  and  sought  only  to  escape.  With  his  people 
and  his  cattle  he  fled  to  the  north,  and  in  the  country 
beyond   the  Limpopo  commenced   to  destroy  the 


DEFEAT  OF  THE  MATABELE. 


203 


Mashona  tribes  as  he  had  destroyed  the  southern 
Betshuana.  The  farmers  were  too  wearied  to  follow 
him,  and  indeed  they  could  not  have  continued  in 
the  field  much  longer  under  any  circumstances,  so 
they  contented  themselves  by  seizing  six  or  seven 
thousand  head  of  cattle,  with  which  they  returned  to 
Winburg. 

After  the  flight  of  Moselekatse,  Commandant 
Potgieter  issued  a  proclamation,  in  which  he  declared 
that  the  whole  of  the  territory  which  that  chief  had 
overrun  and  now  abandoned  was  forfeited  to  the 
emigrants.  It  included  the  greater  part  of  the  present 
South  African  Republic,  fully  half  of  the  present 
Orange  Free  State,  and  the  whole  of  Southern 
Betshuanaland  to  the  Kalahari  desert,  except  the 
district  occupied  by  the  Batlapin.  This  immense 
tract  of  country  was  then  almost  uninhabited,  and 
must  have  remained  so  if  the  Matabele  had  not  been 
driven  out. 


XVII. 


DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  ZULU  POWER  AND  FOUNDA- 
TION OF  THE  REPUBLIC  OF  NATAL. 

In  all  the  world  there  is  not  a  fairer  country  than 
the  pleasant  land  of  Natal,  stretching  in  steps  from 
the  Drakensbcrg,  which  bounds  it  like  a  mighty  wall, 
downward  to  the  shore  of  the  Indian  sea.  The  coast 
belt  is  covered  with  sub-tropical  vegetation,  for  it  is 
heated  by  the  warm  Mozambique  current,  which  runs 
southward  along  it,  and  gives  it  a  higher  temperature 
than  is  due  to  its  distance  from  the  equator.  Each 
terrace,  as  the  traveller  ascends,  is  cooler  than  the  one 
below,  though  it  is  nowhere  cold.  It  is  a  well-watered 
land.  Numerous  streams,  issuing  from  the  Drakens- 
berg  and  the  fronts  of  the  lower  terraces,  rush  along 
in  deep  gorges  to  the  sea,  and  carry  off  the  super- 
abundant moisture,  so  that  it  is  also  well  drained. 
Its  soil  is  rich,  its  forests  yield  excellent  timber,  and 
the  grass  in  its  valleys  resembles  a  meadow.  Its 
climate  everywhere  is  healthy  for  Europeans. 

When  Pieter  Retief  and  his  companions  went  down 
into  it  by  a  pass  they  had  discovered,  there  were 
between  the  Tugela  and  Umzimvubu  rivers  only  from 


NATAL  AND  ZULULAND  IN  1837. 


205 


five  to  ten  thousand  inhabitants.  These  acknowledged 
as  their  chiefs  a  few  Englishmen  whom  Tshaka  and 
Dingan  permitted  to  reside  at  the  port,  and  who 
carried  on  trade  with  the  Zulu  despot.  The  present 
colony  of  Natal  is  far  short  of  the  Umzimvubu  on  the 
south,  but  it  contains  in  the  north  the  tract  of  land 
between  the  Tugela  and  Buffalo  rivers,  which  was 
then  partly  occupied  by  Zulu  subjects,  of  whose 
number  it  is  impossible  to  give  an  estimate. 

Retief  liked  the  appearance  of  the  country,  and  the 
accounts  which  he  received  from  the  Englishmen  at 
the  port  confirmed  his  impression.  These  Englishmen 
had  in  vain  petitioned  the  imperial  government  to 
declare  it  a  British  possession,  so  now  they  were  only 
too  glad  to  welcome  the  emigrant  farmers.  Two  of 
them,  who  had  been  in  the  country  thirteen  years 
and  who  spoke  Zulu  as  well  as  English,  accompanied 
Retief  to  Dingan's  residence  in  the  capacity  of  guides 
and  interpreters. 

The  Zulu  capital  was  called  Umkungunhlovu.  It 
was  in  the  shape  of  an  enormous  hollow  circle  formed 
by  concentric  rows  of  huts  that  served  as  barracks  for 
the  soldiers.  The  interior  space  was  the  drill  ground. 
An  English  missionary  clergyman,  named  Owen,  was 
living  there  at  the  time,  but  he  had  not  been  able  to 
get  any  one  to  listen  to  his  teaching.  There  was  also 
an  English  lad  named  William  Wood — son  of  one  of 
the  residents  at  Port  Natal — who  was  a  favourite  of 
Dingan  and  his  confidential  interpreter. 

The  despot  received  Retief  with  every  show  of 
friendship.  There  was  a  grand  parade,  apparently 
to  please  him,  and  a  big  dance  in  which  highly  trained 


ARRANGEMENT  WITH  DINGAN. 


207 


oxen  took  part  with  soldiers.  Beef  in  huge  pieces  was 
sent  to  the  visitors  from  the  chief's  own  eating  mat, 
which  served  as  a  dish  does  on  a  European  table,  and 
the  best  millet  beer,  such  as  Dingan  himself  was  used 
to  drink  huge  draughts  of,  was  supplied  in  calabashes 
of  the  largest  size. 

When  Retief  spoke  about  Natal,  the  chief  said  he 
might  have  it  for  his  countrymen  to  live  in,  but  first 
he  must  prove  his  friendship  by  recovering  a  herd  of 
about  seven  hundred  cattle  that  Sikonyela,  son  of 
Ma  Ntatisi,  had  recently  stolen  from  a  Zulu  outpost. 
Retief  accepted  the  condition,  and  upon  his  return 
to  Winburg  sent  for  Sikonyela,  whose  residence  was 
at  Imparani,  north  of  the  Caledon,  and  required  him 
to  surrender  Dingan's  oxen  and  some  horses  he  had 
stolen  from  the  emigrants.  They  were  given  up 
without  bloodshed,  and  then  nearly  a  thousand 
white-tilted  waggons  in  a  long  line  went  down  the 
steep  pass  of  the  Drakensberg  and  halted  on  the 
banks  of  the  Bluekrans  and  Bushman's  rivers  in  the 
uplands  of  Natal. 

Retief  now  prepared  to  proceed  to  Umkungunhlovu 
with  the  cattle.  There  were  among  the  emigrants 
men  who  were  suspicious  of  Dingan's  good  faith,  and 
who  thought  their  leader  should  not  risk  a  life  of  such 
value  to  the  community  by  going  again  himself,  but 
he  was  so  confident  in  the  chiefs  friendly  disposition 
that  he  would  not  listen  to  them.  Sixty-five  Euro- 
peans and  about  thirty  Hottentot  servants  accompanied 
him. 

The)r  were  received,  as  before,  with  every  outward 
show  of  respect  and  hospitality,  and  Dingan  expressed 


208 


MASSACRE  OF  EMIGRANTS. 


himself  well  pleased  with  the  restoration  of  his  cattle. 
He  requested  the  reverend  Mr.  Owen  to  draw  up  a 
paper  to  show  that  he  had  given  Natal  to  Retief,  and 
when  this  was  done  in  the  English  language  and  trans- 
lated to  him,  he  said  it  was  correct  and  handed  it  to 
the  emigrant  leader.  The  farmers  were  so  entirely 
thrown  off  their  guard  that  when  they  were  ready  to 
leave  and  were  invited  to  go  into  the  centre  of  the 
kraal  to  partake  of  some  beer  and  bid  adieu  to  the 
chief,  they  left  their  guns  outside.  They  were  seated 
on  the  ground  without  a  thought  of  danger,  when 
Dingan  suddenly  exclaimed  "  Seize  them !  "  and 
immediately  a  regiment  of  soldiers  rushed  upon 
them,  drew  them  to  the  place  of  execution,  and 
broke  their  skulls  with  clubs.  Not  a  single  emigrant 
or  a  Hottentot,  not  even  their  English  interpreter  from 
Port  Natal,  was  suffered  to  escape. 

A  few  hours  later  some  ten  thousand  soldiers  left 
Umkungunhlovu,  and,  after  eleven  days'  march,  at 
early  dawn  one  morning  fell  upon  the  most  advanced 
emigrant  encampment,  which  was  near  the  present 
village  of  Weenen.  Who  can  describe  in  adequate 
language  the  horrors  that  followed  ?  Babes  with 
their  brains  dashed  out  against  waggon  wheels, 
women  ripped  up  with  Zulu  spears,  girls  and  boys 
with  their  necks  twisted,  were  lying  thick  on  the 
ground  when  the  sun  rose  that  morning.  Forty-one 
white  men,  fifty-six  white  women,  one  hundred  and 
eighty-five  white  children,  and  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  coloured  servants  perished  in  the  dreadful 
massacre.  Needless  to  say,  the  waggons  and  their 
contents  were  utterly  destroyed. 


DESPERATE  FIGHTING. 


Every  emigrant  in  Natal  must  have  met  a  similar 
fate  had  not,  providentially,  a  young  man  been  awake 
and  close  to  a  cattle  kraal  when  the  assault  was  made. 
He  managed  to  spring  on  an  unsaddled  horse,  and 
rode  with  all  speed  to  give  warning  to  the  parties 
farther  on.  These  had  barely  time  to  draw  their 
waggons  around  them  when  the  Zulus  appeared,  but 
though  the  most  desperate  efforts  were  made  by  the 
savage  warriors,  the  simple  lagers  proved  effective,  for 
not  one  of  them  was  taken.  The  courage,  and  skill, 
and  coolness  in  danger  displayed  that  day  by  the 
emigrants,  men  and  women  alike,  have  never  been 
excelled  in  the  world's  history.  The  Zulus,  too,  were 
brave,  and  literally  heaps  of  their  dead  lay  around  the 
lagers  before  they  turned  to  retreat.  At  dusk  they 
set  out  for  Umkungunhlovu  with  as  many  cattle  as 
they  could  collect. 

The  night  was  spent  by  the  emigrants  in  watch- 
fulness and  prayer,  each  little  party  hardly  daring 
to  hope  that  any  other  had  escaped.  Next  morning 
communication  between  the  lagers  was  opened,  and 
the  full  extent  of  their  loss  became  known.  Their 
first  care  now  was  to  concentrate  and  strengthen  an 
encampment,  in  case  the  Zulus  should  renew  the 
attack,  and  then  a  general  assembly  was  held  to 
decide  what  was  to  be  done.  One  or  two  men 
proposed  that  they  should  leave  Natal,  but  they  were 
put  to  shame  by  the  women,  who  declared  they 
would  never  abandon  the  country  till  the  Zulus  were 
punished  for  shedding  so  much  innocent  blood.  This 
feeling  was  general,  for  it  was  regarded  as  a  duty  to 
bring  the  murderers  to  account.    Then  they  put  up 

15 


210 


INVASION  OF  ZULU  LAND. 


an  earnest  prayer  to  the  God  of  heaven  that  He 
would  not  forsake  His  people,  nor  allow  the  heathen 
to  triumph  over  them.  From  the  bible — the  only 
book  with  which  they  were  thoroughly  conversant — 
they  drew  consolation  and  hope,  which  enabled  them 
to  bear  up  against  their  trouble,  and  to  take  courage 
for  the  prosecution  of  the  task  before  them. 

When  these  events  took  place,  Pieter  Uys  was  at 
the  top  of  the  Drakensberg  in  readiness  to  go  down, 
and  Hendrik  Potgieter  was  at  Winburg,  as  his  party 
preferred  to  remain  on  the  interior  highland.  Both 
of  them  now  collected  as  many  fighting  men  as 
possible,  and  hastened  to  the  assistance  of  the  dis- 
tressed people  in  Natal.  The  Englishmen  at  the 
port  also,  having  lost  two  of  their  companions  in  the 
massacres,  offered  to  help  with  all  their  followers, 
many  of  whom  were  trained  soldiers  who  had  deserted 
from  the  Zulu  army. 

When  it  came  to  a  question  of  who  was  to  be  the 
leader,  however,  jealousy  of  each  other — the  bane  of 
the  emigrants — showed  itself  at  once.  Even  Pieter 
Retief  could  not  preserve  perfect  concord  among  the 
various  heads  of  parties,  and  after  his  death  there 
was  no  one  whom  all  the  others  would  admit  as  a 
superior.  At  length  it  was  arranged  that  the  English 
chiefs  with  their  people  should  attack  Dingan  on  one 
side  while  Potgieter  and  Uys  attacked  him  on  another, 
and  Maritz  should  remain  at  the  camp  to  protect  it. 

The  two  commandants,  with  three  hundred  and 
forty-seven  men,  rode  directly  towards  the  Zulu 
capital.  After  five  days'  march  through  an  unin- 
habited country,  they  came  in  sight  of  a  division 


DEATH  OF  PIETER  UYS. 


211 


of  the  Zulu  army,  which  they  attacked  impetuously, 
and  were  drawn  into  a  skilfully  planned  ambuscade. 
Before  them  were  two  parallel  ranges  of  hills,  with  a 
long  defile  between  them,  and  into  this  the  farmers 
were  led  by  the  Zulus  apparently  retreating  before 
them.  Uys's  division  was  in  advance.  When  in  the 
narrowest  part  of  the  gorge  they  found  themselves 
surrounded  by  an  immense  force  which  had  been 
lying  in  ambush,  and  by  which  they  were  so  hemmed 
in  that  they  could  not  fall  back  rapidly  after  firing 
and  again  load  and  charge,  as  was  their  mode  of 
fighting  with  Moselekatse.  They  therefore  directed 
all  their  fire  upon  the  mass  of  the  enemy  behind 
them,  when,  having  cleared  a  path  by  shooting  down 
hundreds,  they  rushed  through  and  escaped.  Ten  of 
them  were  killed,  and  they  were  obliged  to  leave  their 
led  horses,  baggage,  and  spare  ammunition  behind. 
Among  the  slain  was  Commandant  Uys,  who  was 
assisting  a  wounded  comrade  when  he  received  a  stab 
from  an  assagai.  His  son,  Dirk  Cornelis  Uys,  a  boy 
of  fifteen  years  of  age,  was  some  distance  off,  but, 
looking  about,  he  saw  his  father  on  the  ground,  and 
a  Zulu  in  the  act  of  stabbing  him.  The  gallant  youth 
turned  his  horse  and  rode  to  help  his  parent,  but 
could  only  die  at  his  side. 

A  few  days  later  seventeen  Englishmen  left  Port 
Natal  with  about  fifteen  hundred  blacks,  of  whom 
between  three  and  four  hundred  were  armed  with 
muskets.  A  few  miles  south  of  the  Tugela  they 
came  upon  a  Zulu  regiment,  which  pretended  to 
take  to  flight,  left  food  cooking  on  fires,  and  even 
threw  away  a  number  of  shields  and  assagais.  The 


212        DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  NATAL  ARMY. 


Natal  army  pursued  with  all  haste,  crossed  the 
Tugela,  took  possession  of  a  kraal  on  the  northern 
bank,  and  then  found  it  had  been  drawn  between 
the  horns  of  a  Zulu  army  fully  seven  thousand 
strong. 

The  battle  that  was  fought,  on  the  17th  of  April 
1838,  was  one  of  the  most  desperate  contests  that 
ever  took  place  on  that  bloodstained  soil.  Three 
times  in  succession  the  Natal  army  beat  back  the 
regiments  that  charged  furiously  upon  it.  Then  a 
strong  Zulu  reinforcement  came  in  sight,  and  renewed 
the  enemy's  courage.  Another  rush  was  made,  which 
cut  the  Natal  army  in  two,  and  all  hope  of  successful 
resistance  was  over.  One  of  the  divisions  tried  to 
escape  by  the  only  open  path,  which  was  down  a 
steep  bank  of  the  Tugela  and  across  that  river.  A 
Zulu  regiment  hastened  to  cut  off  the  retreat  of  the 
fugitives,  and  many  were  killed  in  the  water ;  but 
four  Englishmen  and  about  five  hundred  blacks 
managed  to  get  through.  The  other  division  was 
entirely  surrounded.  But  no  lion  at  bay  ever  created 
such  havoc  among  hounds  that  worried  him  as  this 
little  band  caused  among  the  warriors  of  Dingan 
before  it  perished.  The  young  regiments  were 
selected  to  charge  upon  it,  while  the  veterans 
watched  their  prowess  from  a  neighbouring  hill. 
Whole  masses  went  down  before  the  withering 
fire,  the  survivors  recoiled,  but  again  they  were 
directed  to  charge.  At  last  a  rush  of  a  regiment, 
with  another  in  reserve  close  behind,  carried  every- 
thing before  it,  and  the  stubborn  fight  was  over. 
Thirteen  Englishmen  lay  dead  on  the  field  of  battle, 


ARRIVAL  OF  ANDRIES  PRETORIUS. 


213 


with  a  thousand  Natal  blacks  and  probably  three 
times  that  number  of  Zulus. 

After  these  disasters  the  emigrants  were  unable 
to  take  the  offensive  again  for  some  time.  Owing 
to  the  excessive  jealousy  between  the  leaders, 
Potgieter  and  his  adherents  left  Natal  and  went 
to  reside  along  the  Mooi  river,  where  they  founded 
the  village  of  Potchefstroom.  Those  who  remained 
behind  did  not  venture  far  from  their  fortified  camp, 
and  suffered  much  from  sickness  and  insufficiency 
of  food.  While  in  this  distress,  however,  they  were 
strengthened  by  the  arrival  of  many  of  their  friends 
from  the  colony,  and  they  never  once  gave  up  hope 
of  ultimate  success.  During  the  winter  Dingan  sent 
an  army  to  attack  them,  but  they  were  careful  not 
to  be  drawn  out  of  the  lager  by  stratagem,  and  all 
attempts  to  reach  them  behind  their  defences  failed. 

In  November  a  man  of  great  natural  ability,  named 
Andries  Pretorius,  arrived  in  Natal,  and  was  elected 
commandant-general.  He  at  once  assembled  a  force 
of  four  hundred  and  sixty-four  men,  all  that  could  be 
spared  from  guarding  the  camp,  and  marched  towards 
Umkungunhlovu.  He  took  with  him  a  sufficient 
number  of  waggons  to  form  a  lager,  and  at  every 
halting-place  these  were  drawn  up  in  a  circle  and 
lashed  together.  While  on  the  march  scouts  were 
patrolling  in  all  directions  to  guard  against  surprise. 

The  commando  resembled  an  itinerant  prayer 
meeting  rather  than  a  modern  army,  for  the  men 
were  imbued  with  the  same  spirit  as  the  Ironsides 
of  Cromwell,  and  spoke  and  acted  in  pretty  much 
the  same  manner.    There  was  no  song,  no  jest  heard 


214 


DEFEAT  OF  A  ZULU  ARMY. 


in  that  camp,  but  prayers  were  poured  forth  and 
psalms  were  sung  at  every  halting-place.  The  army 
made  a  vow  that  if  God  would  give  them  victory  over 
the  cruel  heathen,  they  would  build  a  church  and 
set  apart  a  thanksgiving  day  in  every  year  to  com- 
memorate it.  The  church  in  Pietermaritzburg  and 
the  annual  celebration  of  Dingan's  day  bear  witness 
that  they  kept  their  pledge.  They  did  not  wish  to 
fight  merely  for  the  sake  of  revenge.  On  three 
occasions  the  scouts  brought  in  some  captured 
Zulus,  and  Mr.  Pretorius  immediately  sent  these  to 
Dingan  to  inform  him  that  if  he  would  restore  the 
property  taken  from  the  emigrants  they  were  prepared 
to  enter  into  negotiations  for  peace. 

Dingan's  reply  came  in  the  form  of  an  army  ten 
or  twelve  thousand  strong,  which  attacked  the  camp 
at  early  dawn  on  Sunday  the  16th  of  December 
1838.  For  two  full  hours  the  soldiers  persevered  in 
the  attempt  to  force  a  way  in,  notwithstanding  the 
terrible  havoc  created  among  them  by  the  fire  from 
the  farmers'  guns  and  several  small  pieces  of  artillery. 
When  at  length  they  broke  and  fled,  over  three 
thousand  corpses  were  lying  on  the  ground,  and 
a  stream  that  flowed  past  the  field  of  carnage  was 
discoloured  with  gore.  It  has  ever  since  been 
called  the  Blood  river. 

Pretorius  marched  to  Umkungunhlovu  as  rapidly 
as  possible,  but  before  he  could  reach  the  Zulu  capital 
Dingan  set  it  on  fire,  and  fled.  He  was  pursued,  but 
escaped  to  a  part  of  the  country  where  cavalry  could 
not  act,  so  the  commando  returned  to  Natal  with  four 
or  five  thousand  cattle,  all  that  were  seen.     In  the 


REVOLT  OF  PANDA. 


215 


campaign  six  white  men  were  killed  and  three  were 
wounded. 

Since  the  commencement  of  hostilities  Dingan  had 
lost  about  ten  thousand  warriors,  but  his  army  was 
still  so  large  that  he  was  by  no  means  humbled. 
When  the  farmers  retired  he  rebuilt  his  capital, 
and  though  he  pretended  to  fall  in  with  overtures 
which  were  made  for  peace,  it  soon  became  evident 
that  he  was  only  watching  for  an  opportunity  to 
destroy  the  emigrants.  It  was  therefore  not  con- 
sidered advisable  to  scatter  upon  farms,  so  a  town, 
named  Pietermaritzburg,  was  laid  out  in  such  a 
manner  that  each  family  could  have  a  large  garden, 
and  the  cattle  could  be  kept  under  constant  pro- 
tection. 

In  September  1839  a  very  important  event  took 
place  in  the  Zulu  country.  Panda,  a  half-brother 
of  Dingan,  conspired  to  seize  the  chieftainship.  A 
great  number  of  the  incorporated  Zulus  —  the 
remnants  of  tribes  that  had  come  under  Tshaka 
as  the  only  means  of  saving  themselves  —  were 
ready  to  rally  round  any  leader  who  could  give 
them  reasonable  hope  of  deliverance  from  incessant 
bloodshed,  and  when  the  induna  Nongalaza,  who 
was  in  command  of  the  district  along  the  northern 
bank  of  the  Tugela,  declared  for  Panda,  they  joined 
him.  The  rebel  chief  with  a  large  following  then 
crossed  the  Tugela,  and  sent  to  ask  assistance  from 
the  Europeans. 

The  emigrants  at  first  regarded  him  with  suspicion, 
as  it  was  by  no  means  certain  that  his  flight  was  not 
merely  a  pretence  to  draw  them  to  destruction.  But 


216 


DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  ZULU  POWER. 


he  soon  convinced  them  of  his  sincerity,  and  an 
arrangement  was  then  entered  into  by  which  he 
became  a  vassal  of  the  emigrants  in  consideration 
of  receiving  their  support.  He  remained  in  Natal 
under  their  protection  until  January  1840,  when  a 
burgher  force  of  four  hundred  men  under  Com- 
mandant -  General  Pretorius  marched  with  him 
against  Dingan.  His  own  army  was  about  five 
or  six  thousand  strong,  and  was  commanded  by 
Nongalaza.  It  marched  in  a  parallel  line,  but  at 
a  distance  of  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  from  the 
burgher  commando. 

Dingan  now  realised  the  danger  of  his  position,  and 
attempted  to  come  to  terms  with  the  emigrants. 
There  were  two  officers  immediately  under  him, 
whose  advice  he  frequently  sought,  and  through 
whom  he  carried  on  his  government.  Their  names 
were  Tambusa  and  Umthlela.  The  first  named 
he  sent  to  the  European  camp  to  negotiate  for 
peace. 

Upon  Tambusa's  arrival,  he  and  his  servant 
Kombazana  were  made  prisoners,  and  contrary  to 
all  law  and  justice  were  brought  to  trial  before  a 
court-martial  for  having  taken  part  in  the  massacre 
at  Umkungunhlovu,  were  sentenced  to  death,  and 
were  executed. 

A  few  hours  after  this  great  crime  was  committed 
a  messenger  from  Nongalaza  brought  word  to  the 
burgher  column  that  on  the  preceding  day,  30th  of 
January  1840,  he  had  fought  a  great  battle  with 
Dingan's  army  led  by  Umthlela,  and  had  won  a 
complete  victory. 


FINAL  DEFEAT  OF  DING  AN. 


217 


This  battle  proved  a  decisive  one.  At  its  com- 
mencement Dingan's  army  was  superior  in  number, 
but  during  the  action  a  body  of  his  troops  went 
over  to  Panda's  side,  and  turned  the  scale.  Those 
who  were  faithful  stood  their  ground,  and  fell  as 
became  Zulu  warriors.  The  slaughter  on  each  side 
was  enormous.  The  two  best  regiments  of  Dingan 
perished,  for  the  veterans  who  had  won  their  plumes 
under  Tshaka  preferred  to  die  rather  than  show  their 
backs  to  the  traitors  who  had  deserted  their  cause. 
Umthlela  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  the  reserve, 
and  went  into  the  hottest  part  of  the  field,  where  he 
was  pierced  through  the  heart  with  an  assagai.  Still 
the  issue  of  the  day  was  doubtful,  when  the  cry 
echoed  along  Nongalaza's  ranks:  "The  farmers  are 
coming !  "  It  was  not  so,  but  the  belief  that  it  was 
answered  Nongalaza's  purpose.  The  remnant  of 
Dingan's  army,  the  men  who  could  not  flee  from 
a  foe  armed  with  spear  and  shield,  gave  way  in 
their  fear  of  those  dreaded  horsemen  who  had 
power  to  deal  out  death  without  meeting  it  them- 
selves. A  bushy  country  spread  out  before  them, 
and  favoured  their  escape.  The  battle  was  over, 
and  the  terror  which  the  Zulu  name  had  inspired 
was  a  thing  of  the  past. 

Dingan  fled  northward  to  the  border  of  the  Swazi 
country,  where  he  was  soon  afterwards  assassinated 
by  a  man  who  stole  upon  him  unawares.  Those  who 
had  adhered  to  him  in  his  misfortunes  then  tendered 
their  submission  to  Panda,  by  whom  they  were 
received  with  every  mark  of  favour. 

After  the  decisive  engagement  an  enormous  booty 


2l8       DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  ZULU  POWER. 


in  cattle  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  conquerors.  About 
forty  thousand  head  were  delivered  to  Mr.  Pretorius, 
and  were  subsequently  distributed  among  the  emi- 
grants in  proportion  to  their  losses. 

Mr.  Pretorius  then  formally  installed  Panda  as 
chief  of  the  Zulus,  but  in  vassalage  to  the 
volksraad,  to  which  he  promised  fidelity.  The 
republic  of  Natal  was  declared  to  extend  from 
the  Umzimvubu  to  the  Tugela,  and  the  land 
between  the  Tugela  and  Black  Umvolosi  was  pro- 
claimed an  appanage  of  that  republic,  set  apart 
for  the  use  of  the  Zulu  people. 


XVIII. 

SEIZURE  OF  NATAL  BY  BRITISH  FORCES.  CREATION 
OF  TREATY  STATES  ALONG  THE  FRONTIER  OF 
THE  CAPE  COLONY. 

The  emigrant  farmers  had  now  freed  South  Africa 
of  the  destructive  Zulu  power,  and  had  driven 
the  ferocious  Matabele  into  regions  unknown  to 
Europeans.  Seldom  have  such  great  events  been 
accomplished  by  means  apparently  so  feeble.  Yet 
they  took  no  credit  to  themselves  for  what  they  had 
done,  because  in  their  view  it  was  God  who  had 
wrought  the  great  deliverance,  and  they  were  merely 
humble  instruments  in  His  hands.  No  Israelite  of 
old  ever  held  a  belief  of  this  kind  more  firmly  than 
did  these  wanderers  who  had  suffered  so  much  and 
acted  so  bravely. 

It  was,  however,  soon  evident  that  they  were  less 
qualified  for  self-rule  than  for  war,  as  the  government 
which  they  established  was  the  weakest  and  most 
imprudent  that  ever  existed.  It  could  not  be  carried 
on  efficiently  without  a  suitable  revenue,  and  they 
refused  to  pay  any  but  the  most  trifling  taxes.  Every 

measure  of  importance  after  adoption  by  the  volks- 

219 


220    SEIZURE  OF  NATAL  BY  BRITISH  FORCES. 


raad  had  to  be  referred  to  the  burghers  in  primary 
assembly,  and  nothing  but  confusion  was  the  result 
The  public  offices  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest — 
with  a  solitary  exception — were  held  by  uneducated 
men,  who  could  barely  write  an  ordinary  letter,  and 
who  were  of  course  ignorant  of  routine  duties. 
Above  all,  the  utmost  prudence  was  needed  to  avoid 
irritating  the  British  government,  and  they  acted  as  if 
they  could  afford  to  be  indifferent  to  English  opinion. 

The  elevation  of  the  coloured  races  was  then  a 
leading — and  surely  a  praiseworthy — idea  in  England, 
but,  unfortunately,  the  great  philanthropic  and  mis- 
sionary societies  had  made  up  their  minds  as  to  the 
precise  manner  in  which  this  should  be  effected,  and 
condemned  as  unchristian  all  views  that  differed  from 
their  own.  Applying  their  principles  to  South  Africa, 
the  formation  of  large  Bantu  states  under  missionary 
guidance  and  British  protection  was  what  they  desired, 
and  the  reverend  Dr.  Philip,  the  exponent  of  their 
views,  was  urging  this  scheme  upon  the  Cape  govern- 
ment. Time  has  shown  how  faulty  it  was,  but  no 
one  even  in  this  country  could  foresee  the  full  extent 
of  the  harm  it  would  cause  to  the  black  people  as 
well  as  to  the  white.  The  devastations  which  the 
Zulus  and  Matabele  had  wrought  were  unknown  in 
Europe,  and  therefore  when  intelligence  reached 
England  that  many  thousands  of  the  men  of  those 
tribes  had  fallen  before  the  farmers'  guns,  public 
opinion  was  shocked.  No  one  suspected  that  the 
destruction  of  those  fierce  warriors  meant  life  to  all 
other  black  people  in  the  country.  The  great 
societies  brought  their  influence  to  bear  upon  the 


CONDUCT  OF  THE  NATAL  GOVERNMENT.  221 


government,  in  order — as  they  believed — to  stop 
further  bloodshed  by  compelling  the  emigrants  to 
return  to  the  Cape  Colony.  Hardly  any  one  con- 
sidered it  advisable  that  the  British  dominions  in 
South  Africa  should  be  enlarged  by  the  annexation 
of  the  territory  which  they  occupied. 

While  this  was  the  feeling  in  England,  the 
republican  government  resolved  not  to  allow 
Bantu  from  beyond  the  borders  to  settle  in  Natal, 
and  to  confine  those  who  were  already  there  to 
certain  locations.  A  commando  was  also  sent 
against  a  marauding  chief  who  lived  between  Natal 
and  the  Cape  Colony,  and  he  was  severely  dealt  with. 
If  the  emigrants  had  sought  to  provoke  the  British 
government,  they  could  hardly  have  devised  a  surer 
plan.  As  soon  as  the  intelligence  reached  Sir  George 
Napier,  who  was  then  governor  of  the  Cape  Colony, 
a  body  of  troops  was  sent  to  protect  the  Bantu,  and  a 
military  camp  was  formed  within  a  short  distance  of 
the  southern  boundary  of  the  republic. 

For  some  time  after  the  arrival  of  the  emigrants 
in  Natal,  every  possible  effort  had  been  made  by  the 
authorities  in  Capetown  to  cut  off  their  supply  of 
ammunition,  but  all  attempts  to  do  so  had  failed. 
They  had  now  a  port  of  their  own,  and  foreign  vessels 
were  beginning  to  find  their  way  to  it.  This  naturally 
caused  English  merchants  engaged  in  the  South 
African  trade  to  feel  irritated,  for  it  was  supposed 
that  the  harbour  of  Natal  might  become  the  principal 
gateway  to  the  interior. 

A  resolution  of  the  volksraad  to  compel  some 
recent  Bantu  immigrants  to  retire  to  a  location  on  the 


222    SEIZURE  OF  NATAL  BY  BRITISH  FORCES. 


southern  side  of  the  republic  brought  matters  to  a 
crisis.  The  troops  on  the  border  were  reinforced,  and 
were  ordered  by  Sir  George  Napier  to  move  on  and 
take  possession  of  Port  Natal. 

Accordingly  two  hundred  and  sixty-three  soldiers 
of  all  ranks  and  of  different  arms,  under  Captain 
Thomas  Smith,  marched  forward,  meeting  with  no 
molestation  on  the  way,  and  formed  a  camp  at 
Durban.  The  volksraad  sent  a  protest,  but  no 
notice  was  taken  of  it.  Commandant  -  General 
Pretorius  then  assembled  a  number  of  farmers,  and 
formed  a  camp  at  the  head  of  the  inlet,  from  which 
he  sent  a  demand  that  the  English  troops  should 
leave  without  delay.  He  claimed  for  the  emigrant 
farmers  perfect  independence,  but  Captain  Smith 
maintained  the  English  view,  that  they  had  not 
ceased  to  be  British  subjects  and  could  not  by  any 
act  of  their  own  throw  off  their  allegiance  to  the 
crown  of  England. 

A  contest  was  now  inevitable.  Captain  Smith, 
who  altogether  underrated  the  vigilance  and  courage 
of  his  opponent,  thought  to  crush  out  opposition  by 
a  single  blow,  and  left  his  camp  one  evening  at  the 
head  of  a  hundred  and  thirty-seven  soldiers  with  the 
intention  of  falling  by  surprise  upon  Pretorius,  who 
had  then  with  him  two  hundred  and  sixty-four  men. 
No  military  operation  could  have  been  worse  planned. 
It  was  clear  moonlight,  yet  it  was  thought  that  the 
troops  would  not  be  noticed.  The  distance  wras  a 
march  of  three  miles,  and  the  road  was  along  the 
shore  of  the  inlet,  which  was  bordered  at  one  place 
by  dense  scrub. 


SIEGE  OF  THE  BRITISH  CAMP. 


223 


The  troops  were  marching  fully  exposed  past  the 
thicket,  with  two  field-pieces  drawn  by  bullocks,  when 
a  sharp  fire  was  opened  upon  them.  They  returned 
the  volley,  but  without  doing  the  slightest  damage  to 
the  farmers,  who  were  well  protected  and  thoroughly 
concealed.  Another  discharge  from  the  thicket 
wounded  some  of  the  oxen,  which  broke  loose  from 
the  yokes  and  rushed  furiously  about,  adding  to  the 
confusion.  There  was  no  remedy  but  retreat.  Six- 
teen killed  and  thirty-one  wounded  were  found  by  the 
farmers  next  day,  and  three  others  were  drowned. 
The  two  guns,  the  oxen,  and  indeed  everything  that 
could  be  left  behind,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
farmers. 

Mr.  Pretorius  now  again  demanded  that  the  troops 
should  leave  Natal,  and  to  gain  time  to  strengthen 
his  camp,  Captain  Smith  agreed  to  a  truce  of  a  few 
days,  under  pretence  of  considering  the  matter.  A 
messenger,  provided  with  two  good  horses,  was 
directed  to  ride  with  all  speed  through  Kaffirland  to 
Grahamstown  with  a  request  for  help,  and  he  managed 
to  get  safely  away. 

When  the  truce  expired  the  English  camp  was 
invested,  and  fire  was  opened  upon  it  from  the 
farmers'  batteries,  on  which  three  small  cannons  were 
mounted.  Captain  Smith  caused  deep  trenches  to  be 
dug,  in  which  the  soldiers  could  remain  in  security, 
and  he  increased  his  stock  of  provisions  by  slaughter- 
ing his  horses  and  drying  their  flesh.  The  men 
were  put  upon  short  allowance,  which,  as  the  siege 
advanced,  became  less  and  less,  until  they  had  nothing 
more  than  a  few  ounces  of  biscuit  dust  and  dried 


224    SEIZURE  OF  NATAL  BY  BRITISH  FORCES. 


horseflesh  daily.  Fortunately  for  them  there  was  no 
want  of  water,  which  was  obtained  from  wells  sunk 
within  the  camp. 

The  force  under  Pretorius  increased  by  fresh 
arrivals  until  it  amounted  to  six  hundred  men.  They 
fortified  the  entrance  to  the  inner  harbour,  and 
pressed  the  siege  with  vigour.  Their  cannon  balls 
having  become  exhausted,  they  manufactured  others 
by  casting  leaden  ones  over  links  cut  from  a  chain 
cable.  But  so  well  were  the  soldiers  protected  that 
the  fire  against  them  was  almost  harmless,  only  eight 
men  being  killed  and  eight  wounded  on  the  British 
side  during  the  twenty-six  days  that  the  siege  lasted, 
though  six  hundred  and  fifty-one  cannon  shot  were 
fired  at  the  camp.  On  the  other  side  four  men  were 
killed,  and  eight  or  ten — the  exact  number  cannot  be 
given — were  wounded. 

The  messenger  sent  by  Captain  Smith  overland, 
who  was  familiar  with  the  language  and  customs  of 
the  Bantu  tribes  on  his  way,  reached  Grahamstown  in 
safety,  and  informed  the  military  authorities  of  what 
had  happened.  A  hundred  soldiers  were  thereupon 
embarked  in  a  schooner  at  Algoa  Bay,  and  sailed  for 
Port  Natal.  A  wing  of  a  regiment  was  also  taken  on 
board  a  frigate  at  Simon's  Bay,  and  proceeded  to  the 
same  destination. 

On  Sunday,  the  25th  of  June  1842,  the  schooner 
sailed  into  the  inner  harbour  with  a  fair  wind,  having 
as  many  soldiers  on  board  as  could  find  room,  and 
towing  a  number  of  boats  containing  others.  The 
frigate  at  the  same  time  opened  fire  with  her  heavy 
guns  upon  the  high  land  commanding  the  entrance. 


RELIEF  OF  THE  BRITISH  CAMP.  225 

Three  men  were  killed  and  five  were  wounded  when 
passing  under  the  farmers'  batteries,  but  no  further 
resistance  was  offered,  for  as  soon  as  the  fresh  troops 
landed  and  Captain  Smith  was  relieved,  the  burgher 
force  under  Pretorius  dispersed. 

Natal  thus  became  a  British  possession.  Some  of 
the  farmers  remained  in  it,  but  most  of  them  packed 
their  effects  in  their  waggons,  and  moved  over  the 
Drakensberg  into  the  interior.  More  than  three 
years  elapsed,  however,  before  a  government  under 
English  officials  was  established,  and  during  that 
time  great  numbers  of  Bantu — chiefly  refugees  from 
Zululand — moved  into  the  nearly  vacant  territory. 
An  arrangement  was  made  with  Panda,  by  which  he 
ceded  to  the  British  government  the  ground  between 
the  Buffalo  and  the  upper  Tugela  river,  so  that  the 
boundary  was  extended  on  the  north  beyond  the 
passes  through  the  mountain  range.  Thereafter  the 
Zulu  chief  was  treated  as  an  independent  sovereign, 
and  immediately  the  process  commenced  of  building 
up  again  that  great  military  power  which  cost  so 
much  English  blood  in  later  years  to  overthrow.  On 
the  south  all  the  land  beyond  the  Umzimkulu  river 
was  given  to  the  Pondo  chief  Faku,  and  thus  Natal 
was  much  reduced  in  size  in  that  direction. 

The  farmers  who  went  back  over  the  Drakensberg 
settled  in  the  territory  between  the  Magalisberg 
and  the  Vaal  river,  that  had  previously  been  occupied 
by  Commandant  Potgieter's  adherents.  These  now 
moved  away  to  the  north-east,  in  hope  of  being  able 
to  open  communication  with  the  outer  world  through 
Pelagoa  Bay,  which,  as  it  belonged  to  the  Portuguese, 

16 


PROJECT  OF  TREATY  STATES. 


227 


they  thought  would  be  safe  against  attack  by  Great 
Britain.  They  halted  on  the  head  waters  of  some 
streams  flowing  into  that  bay,  and  built  a  village 
which  they  named  Ohrigstad.  There,  however,  they 
suffered  very  severely  from  fever,  so  that  they  were 
obliged  to  move  again.  They  then  divided  into  two 
parties,  one  of  which  founded  the  village  of  Lyden- 
burg,  and  the  other,  under  Potgieter  himself,  went 
away  north  to  the  Zoutpansberg  and  settled  there. 

In  England  the  conduct  of  the  emigrants  in  thus 
persistently  retiring  from  British  authority  was 
regarded  as  very  objectionable.  The  opinion  was 
general  that  something  should  be  done  not  only  to 
compel  the  wanderers  in  the  interior  of  the  continent 
to  return  to  their  old  homes,  but  to  prevent  others 
from  abandoning  the  colony  and  joining  them.  The 
project  of  forming  a  barrier  along  the  colonial  border, 
by  means  of  the  creation  of  a  chain  of  large  native 
states,  had  for  some  time  been  advocated  by  the  great 
societies,  and  was  now  determined  upon  by  the 
government.  Such  a  barrier,  it  was  imagined,  would 
cut  off  commercial  communication  with  the  emigrants, 
and  leave  them  no  alternative  but  to  retrace  theirsteps. 

In  carrying  this  scheme  into  execution,  Sir  George 
Napier  followed  the  method  suggested  by  the 
reverend  Dr.  Philip,  who  made  the  preliminary 
arrangements.  His  plan  was  to  select  in  a  given 
area  the  most  competent  chief,  that  is  the  one 
supposed  to  be  most  amenable  to  missionary 
guidance,  to  enter  into  treaty  with  him  as  a  sove- 
reign, and  to  support  him  with  all  the  influence  of 
the  British  government. 


228 


CREATION  OF  TREATY  STATES. 


At  Thaba  Bosigo  one  such  chief  was  found  in  the 
person  of  the  wise  and  able  Moshesh,  the  friend  and 
patron  of  missionaries.  He  had  already  built  up  a 
considerable  power,  which  it  was  the  great  object 
of  his  life  to  increase  and  solidify.  Nothing,  therefore, 
could  have  been  more  in  accordance  with  his  desires 
than  the  scheme  which  was  proposed  :  alliance  with 
the  British  government,  a  subsidy  in  money,  a  vast 
extension  of  territory,  and  supremacy  over  all  other 
chiefs  within  the  area  assigned  to  him.  In  1843  a 
treaty  was  concluded,  in  which  he  was  acknowledged 
to  be  the  sovereign  of  a  large  vacant  tract  of  land 
north  of  the  Orange  river,  of  the  basin  of  the  lower 
Caledon,  where  European  farmers  were  settled,  of  the 
territory  along  the  western  bank  of  the  Caledon 
higher  up,  which  was  occupied  by  various  clans 
brought  there  by  Wesleyan  missionaries,  and  of  all 
the  land  on  which  his  own  people  lived.  He  was  to 
have  a  subsidy  of  £j$  a  year,  payable  either  in  money 
or  in  arms  and  ammunition,  as  he  might  choose.  It 
will  be  seen  in  future  chapters  that  no  other  document 
ever  signed  in  South  Africa  cost  so  much  blood  and 
treasure  as  this,  or  was  so  productive  of  evil  in  various 
ways. 

West  of  the  territory  assigned  to  Moshesh  there  were 
no  Bantu,  but  at  and  around  a  mission  station  of  the 
London  society,  named  Philippolis,  there  were  some 
fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand  Griquas,  under  a 
captain  named  Adam  Kok.  These  people  were  of 
mixed  European,  Hottentot,  and  negro  blood,  and 
most  of  them  had  recently  migrated  from  the  Cape 
Colony.    The)'  were  supposed  to  be  under  missionary 


THE  GRIQUAS. 


220, 


guidance  and  to  be  partly  civilised,  but  the  men  lived 
chiefly  by  hunting,  and  their  character  was  far  from 
stable.  It  was  not  then  known  that  they  were  a 
perishing  race.  For  one  or  two  generations  the 
hybrid  offspring  of  Europeans  and  coloured  people 


GRIQUA  MAN  AND  WOMEN. 

{From  a  Sketch  by  Mr.  Thos.  Baines.) 


possess  a  fair  amount  of  fertility,  but  they  must  then 
intermix  with  one  of  the  pure  original  stocks,  or  die 
out.  Within  fifty  years  the  Griquas,  by  attempting 
to  live  as  a  separate  people,  have  decreased  to  little 
more  than  one- fourth  of  their  original  number. 


230  CREATION  OF  TREATY  STATES. 

There  were  more  white  people  than  Griquas  living 
in  the  territory  between  the  Modder  river  and  the 
Orange,  but  at  the  same  time  that  the  treaty  was 
made  with  Moshesh  a  similar  one  was  made  with 
Adam  Kok,  and  thereafter  this  petty  captain  was 
officially  regarded  by  the  British  government  as  the 
sovereign  of  all  the  land  from  the  new  Basuto 
boundary  to  the  territory  claimed  by  Andries 
Waterboer  under  the  treaty  of  1834.  He  was  to 
receive  a  subsidy  of  .£100  a  year  in  money  and  the 
use  of  a  hundred  stand  of  arms  with  a  reasonable 
quantity  of  ammunition.  The  London  society  was 
to  receive  £$0  a  year  for  the  maintenance  of  a  mission 
school. 

Thus,  as  far  as  paper  treaties  could  make  states, 
there  was  now  a  barrier  along  the  whole  northern 
border  of  the  Cape  Colony  from  the  Kalahari  desert 
upward.  A  little  later,  by  another  treaty,  the  Pondo 
chief  Faku  became  the  nominal  ruler  of  all  the  terri- 
tory between  the  Umtata  and  Umzimkulu  rivers,  the 
Drakensberg  and  the  sea,  and  thus  the  girdle  was 
made  complete. 

But  it  was  soon  found  that  for  the  purpose  intended 
the  treaty  states  were  useless.  The  emigrant  farmers 
ridiculed  the  idea  either  of  their  removal  or  of  their 
subjection  to  the  puppet  sovereigns  thus  set  up,  and 
matters  went  on  pretty  much  as  before,  so  far  as  they 
were  concerned.  In  the  territory  assigned  to  Moshesh 
trouble  of  an  unexpected  kind  immediately  arose. 
The  chiefs  of  the  clans  along  the  Caledon  indignantly 
refused  to  acknowledge  him  as  a  superior,  and  the 
Wesleyan  missionaries  took  part  with  them  in  doing 


EFFECTS  OF  THE  TREATIES. 


231 


so.  The  French  missionaries,  on  the  other  hand,  did 
their  utmost  to  support  and  build  up  the  Basuto 
power.  Thus  jealousies  and  quarrels  were  fomented, 
and  the  clans  were  kept  in  perpetual  disturbance. 

In  the •  territory  assigned  to  Adam  Kok  many  of 
the  white  people  had  come  to  fear  that  such  anarchy 
as  had  prevailed  in  Natal  was  inseparable  from  a 
republican  form  of  government,  and  they  were  not 
only  willing  but  anxious  to  see  the  country  annexed 
to  the  British  dominions.  There  were  circumstances 
in  their  condition  and  in  the  manner  of  their  removal 
from  the  colony  that  made  them  the  least  disaffected 
of  all  the  Dutch-speaking  people  of  South  Africa. 
But  they,  too,  repudiated  the  sovereignty  of  Adam 
Kok,  and  refused  to  acknowledge  him  as  anything 
but  a  Griqua  captain.  Besides  these  people  there 
were  two  large  parties  of  emigrants  in  the  country 
bitterly  hostile  to  England,  and  they  at  once  declared 
that  if  Kok  attempted  to  interfere  with  them  in  any 
way  whatever  they  would  resist  with  arms. 

The  treaty  states  were  thus  no  barrier  to  commer- 
cial intercourse  with  the  emigrants  in  the  interior, 
they  did  not  prevent  further  emigration,  nor  did  they 
cause  a  single  individual  to  retrace  his  steps.  They 
provoked  disputes  and  quarrels  among  people  who 
were  before  friendly,  and  they  enabled  Moshesh  to 
build  up  a  power  antagonistic  to  the  interests  and 
welfare  of  South  Africa. 


XIX. 


EVENTS  TO   THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  SEVENTH  KAFFIR 

WAR. 

Sir  Peregrine  Maitland,  who  succeeded  Sir 
George  Napier  as  governor  of  the  Cape  Colony, 
determined  to  support  Adam  Kok  with  a  military 
force  if  he  should  be  attacked,  and  a  promise  to  that 
effect  was  made  to  him.  Thereupon  he  assumed 
a  very  haughty  tone  towards  the  white  people,  and 
shortly  afterwards  sent  a  band  of  his  followers  to 
arrest  a  farmer  who  ignored  his  government  The 
farmer  was  not  at  home  when  the  Griquas  arrived  at 
his  house,  so  they  poured  a  storm  of  abuse  upon 
his  wife,  and  took  possession  of  his  guns  and  am- 
munition. 

Upon  this  the  burghers  formed  a  lager  about  thirty 
miles  from  Philippolis,  and  having  placed  their 
families  in  safety  within  it,  they  left  a  guard  for  its 
defence  and  took  the  field.  There  was  at  the  time  a 
body  of  British  troops  stationed  at  Colesberg,  on  the 
colonial  side  of  the  Orange  river,  two  hundred  of 
whom  now  marched  to  Philippolis  to  aid  the  Griquas. 
Adam  Kok  was  also  supplied  with  muskets  and 


EXPEDITION  TO  AID  ADAM  KOK. 


233 


ammunition  from  the  military  stores.  He  was  thus 
able  to  defend  himself  until  a  regiment  of  dragoons, 
with  some  artillery  and  a  company  of  light  cavalry, 
could  march  to  his  support  from  Grahamstown. 
As  soon  as  the  force  reached  Philippolis,  Colonel 
Richardson,  who  was  in  command,  issued  a  pro- 
clamation calling  upon  the  farmers  to  surrender  un- 
conditionally ;  but  they  took  no  notice  of  it.  He  then 
marched  towards  their  lager,  and  by  a  stratagem 
drew  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  out  of  it,  who  were 
nearly  surrounded  before  they  were  aware  that  British 
troops  were  acting  against  them.  Taken  by  surprise, 
they  did  not  attempt  to  make  a  stand,  but  in  their 
efforts  to  escape  three  were  killed.  A  little  later  in 
the  same  day  possession  was  taken  of  the  lager  with- 
out resistance,  when  all  the  arms  found  there  were 
confiscated. 

Colonel  Richardson  next  called  upon  the  emi- 
grants to  take  an  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  queen, 
when  all  those — three  hundred  and  sixteen  in  number 
— who  have  been  mentioned  as  not  ill-affected  towards 
the  British  government  did  so.  The  others  were  not 
arrested,  as  there  were  no  means  of  supporting  them 
in  detention,  so  they  moved  away  to  Winburg,  beyond 
the  territory  claimed  by  Adam  Kok. 

By  this  time  Sir  Peregrine  Maitland  had  become 
convinced  that  the  Griqua  treaty  state,  as  originally 
planned,  could  not  be  maintained  without  the  constant 
presence  of  a  considerable  military  force,  and  in  that 
case  to  regard  Kok  as  a  sovereign  would  be  an 
absurdity.  But  he  did  not  know  what  change  to 
make,  and  so  he  visited  the  country  in  order  to  learn 


234       T0  CLOSE  OF  SEVENTH  KAFFIR  WAR. 


its  condition  by  personal  intercourse  with  the  different 
people  there,  and  to  devise  some  plan  of  action.  At 
Touwfontein,  where  the  emigrant  lager  had  been,  he 
met  a  great  number  of  farmers,  all  the  chiefs  between 
the  Orange  and  Vaal  rivers,  and  most  of  the  mission- 
aries. During  several  days  matters  were  discussed, 
and  the  views  of  the  different  parties  were  laid  before 
the  governor. 

Adam  Kok  contended  that  he  was  a  sovereign  in 
alliance  with  Great  Britain,  that  every  one  within  his 
dominions  who  did  not  implicitly  obey  his  orders  was 
a  rebel,  and  he  requested  that  all  the  white  people 
should  be  removed. 

The  farmers  contended  that  as  there  was  no  one 
living  in  the  territory  claimed  by  Kok  whose  parents 
had  been  born  there,  all  being  recent  immigrants, 
their  right  was  equal  to  that  of  the  Griquas.  Much 
of  the  land  they  occupied  was  vacant  when  they 
took  possession  of  it,  and  the  remainder  had  been 
purchased  or  leased  from  individual  Griquas  who  by 
an  earlier  selection  had  prior  claims.  They  could  not 
return  to  the  colony,  where  they  had  no  ground,  nor 
could  they  submit  to  such  a  government  as  that  of 
Adam  Kok  and  his  missionary. 

Moshesh  contended  that  as  he  was  acknowledged 
to  be  the  sovereign  of  the  territory  assigned  to  him 
by  treaty,  no  one  within  it  should  be  communicated 
with  except  through  him. 

The  chiefs  along  the  Caledon  contended  that  their 
independence  of  Moshesh  ought  to  be  recognised,  and 
declared  that  they  would  rather  die  with  arms  in  their 
hands  than  submit  to  him. 


ARRANGEMENT  WITH  ADAM  KOK.  235 


Each  of  the  missionaries  supported  the  claims  of 
the  particular  chief  with  whom  he  was  living,  so 
that  their  opinions  differed  greatly. 

Out  of  this  confusion  Sir  Peregrine  Maitland  saw 
but  one  way  of  establishing  order.  He  gave  up  all 
idea  of  the  return  of  the  emigrants  to  the  Cape  Colony, 
and  endeavoured  to  arrange  for  the  proper  govern- 
ment of  those  who  were  living  in  the  treaty  states. 
He  proposed  to  Adam  Kok  that  the  land  between  the 
Modder  and  Riet  rivers  should  be  allotted  to  Euro- 
peans, and  that  between  the  Riet  and  Orange  rivers 
to  Griquas.  The  Europeans  were  to  be  governed  by 
an  English  officer  whom  he  would  nominate,  and  to 
whom  Kok  was  to  give  a  commission.  Quitrent  was 
to  be  levied  on  their  farms,  one  half  of  which  was 
to  be  devoted  to  the  payment  of  the  English  officer 
and  his  assistants,  and  the  other  half  was  to  be  handed 
over  to  Kok,  whose  sovereignty  over  the  whole  terri- 
tory was  in  this  manner  still  to  be  recognised.  The 
Griqua  captain  at  once  closed  with  the  offer,  for  it 
relieved  him  of  a  great  difficulty  and  gave  him  an 
addition  to  his  income.  The  Europeans  also  accepted 
the  proposal,  though  some  of  them  grumbled  at  having 
to  pay  tribute  to  a  man  whose  right  to  the  ground 
was  no  better  than  their  own. 

Major  Warden  was  selected  by  the  governor  to 
rule  the  European  community  between  the  Riet  and 
the  Modder,  and  fixed  his  residence  at  a  place  named 
Bloemfontein.  A  few  soldiers  of  the  Hottentot  regi- 
ment were  stationed  there  to  support  his  authority, 
and  he  received  all  his  instructions  from  Capetown, 
so  that  practically  the  territory  was  a  British  depen- 


236       TO  CLOSE  OF  SEVENTH  KAFFIR  WAR. 


dency,  though  writs  and  other  public  documents  ran 
in  the  name  of  Adam  Kok.  This  arrangement 
worked  fairly  well,  and  a  short  period  of  peace  and 
prosperity  followed  in  that  part  of  South  Africa. 

A  similar  proposal  was  made  by  Sir  Peregrine 
Maitland  to  Moshesh,  but  that  chief  was  in  a  very 
different  position  from  the  Griqua  captain,  and  was 
loth  to  exchange  power  for  money.  He  wanted  to 
keep  on  good  terms  with  the  governor,  however,  and 
so  he  made  an  appearance  of  consenting  to  the  plan 
while  really  thwarting  it.  He  offered  for  the  use  of 
Europeans  a  tract  of  land  in  the  angle  of  the  Orange 
and  Caledon  rivers,  so  far  away  from  the  possessions 
of  his  own  people  that  there  was  no  likelihood  of  its 
ever  being  of  value  to  him,  and  so  small  that  no 
revenue  derived  from  it  could  cover  the  salary  of  a 
British  official.  This  offer  he  could  not  be  induced  to 
enlarge,  and  though  negotiations  were  carried  on  with 
him  after  Sir  Peregrine  Maitland's  return  to  Cape- 
town, nothing  came  of  them.  Thus  within  the  Basuto 
treaty  state  matters  remained  in  a  most  unsatisfac- 
tory condition. 

At  this  time  the  eastern  frontier  of  the  Cape  Colony 
was  exposed  to  depredations  as  it  had  never— even  in 
the  worst  times — been  exposed  before.  Earl  Glenelg, 
through  his  agent  Lieutenant-Governor  Stockenstrom, 
had  given  up  to  the  Kosas  the  whole  country  east  of 
the  Kat  and  Fish  rivers,  and  had  entered  into  treaties 
with  the  chiefs  as  sovereign  rulers.  This  action  they 
considered  a  proof  of  weakness,  and  in  consequence 
they  laid  aside  all  respect  for  the  British  authorities. 
Within  the  next  ten  years  over  a  hundred  murders  were 


MARKS  OF  PROGRESS. 


237 


committed  by  their  people  on  colonial  ground,  and 
the  country  as  far  west  as  the  Sunday  river  was 
harried  and  wasted  almost  as  in  a  time  of  war.  The 
unfortunate  British  settlers  of  1820  were  the  principal 
sufferers,  but  their  prayers  for  relief  were  altogether 
disregarded  in  England.  Modifications  of  the  treaties 
were  made  by  Sir  George  Napier  and  Sir  Peregrine 
Maitland,  but  the  position  was  not  improved,  for  it 
was  the  system  itself  that  was  the  cause  of  the  evil. 

In  other  respects  this  period  was  marked  by  many 
beneficial  changes.  The  cost  of  government  was 
greatly  reduced,  so  that  every  year  a  surplus  could 
be  applied  to  the  reduction  of  the  public  debt.  By 
the  sale  of  the  old  drostdies,  the  conversion  of  a 
number  of  quitrent  farms  into  freehold,  and  licenses 
for  the  removal  of  a  quantity  of  guano  from  some 
small  islands  off  the  western  coast,  by  1847  the  debt 
was  entirely  paid  off.  Magistrates  were  increased, 
and  churches  of  various  denominations  were  multi- 
plied throughout  the  colony.  Municipal  government 
of  the  towns  and  villages  was  introduced.  An  ex- 
cellent system  of  schools  was  brought  into  operation. 
Good  waggon  roads  were  made — principally  by  con- 
vict labour — through  many  mountain  passes,  where 
previously  produce  could  only  be  transported  with 
the  greatest  difficulty.  The  value  of  the  exports  was 
rapidly  rising  by  increase  in  the  production  of  wool. 

More  than  all,  four  or  five  thousand  English, 
Scotch,  and  Irish  agriculturists  and  mechanics  were 
brought  into  the  colony  by  a  system  of  aided  immi- 
gration, and  partly  filled  the  places  of  those  who  had 
moved  into  the  interior.    No  people  in  any  country 


SEVENTH  KAFFIR  WAR. 


239 


have  thriven  better  than  these.  About  seven  hundred 
destitute  children  sent  out  from  London  by  a  bene- 
volent society  were  apprenticed  to  carefully  selected 
persons,  and  though  a  few  turned  out  badly,  most  of 
them  became  useful  and  prosperous  members  of  the 
community.  Unfortunately,  however,  these  were  not 
the  only  immigrants.  The  Cape  was  made  the 
station  where  all  slave  ships  captured  by  British 
cruisers  south  of  the  equator  were  brought,  and  the 
negroes  were  apprenticed  here  for  short  periods,  after 
which  they  became  merged  in  the  general  coloured 
population.  The  farmers  and  townspeople,  who  were 
without  a  sufficient  supply  of  labour,  were  very  glad 
to  get  them,  and  the  missionary  societies  welcomed 
them  as  material  to  work  with  ;  but  they  were  not 
a  class  to  add  permanently  to  the  prosperity  of  the 
country. 

After  the  frontier  colonists  had  been  exposed  for 
ten  years  to  the  depredations  of  the  Kosas,  an  event 
took  place  which  brought  on  open  war.  A  Kosa, 
who  was  detected  in  an  act  of  theft  at  Fort  Beaufort, 
was  arrested,  and  was  being  conveyed  to  the  nearest 
magistrate's  office  for  trial,  when  a  party  of  his  clans- 
men crossed  the  border,  and  after  overpowering  the 
constables  and  murdering  a  Hottentot,  released  their 
friend.  Sandile,  the  legal  heir  of  Gaika,  was  then 
the  principal  chief  of  Western  Kaffirland.  The 
governor  applied  to  him  to  surrender  the  raiders 
for  trial,  as  their  crime  had  been  committed  on 
colonial  ground,  and  he  had  bound  himself  by  treaty 
to  give  up  offenders  of  this  kind.  But  he  made  light 
of  the  matter,  and  refused  to  carry  out  his  engagement. 


240  '    TO  CLOSE  OF  SEVENTH  KAFFIR  WAR. 


A  military  force  was  then  directed  to  enter  Kaffir- 
land  and  occupy  Sandile's  kraal,  so  as  to  bring  him 
to  terms.  A  very  long  waggon  train  accompanied  it, 
conveying  provisions,  tents,  baggage,  and  ammuni- 
tion ;  and,  as  if  to  invite  attack,  this  tempting  prize 
was  almost  unguarded.  The  movements  of  the 
expedition  were,  of  course,  closely  watched  by  the 
keen  eyes  of  Kosa  scouts,  and  when  in  a  spot  con- 
venient for  the  purpose,  while  the  main  body  of  the 
English  troops  was  some  miles  distant,  a  strong  band 
of  warriors  rushed  upon  the  train,  and  without  any 
difficulty  made  themselves  masters  of  a  great  portion 
of  it 

By  this  disaster  the  British  force  was  compelled 
to  retreat  precipitately.  After  considerable  loss  it 
reached  the  Lovedale  mission  station,  just  within 
the  colonial  border,  and  hastily  fortified  a  large  stone 
building  used  as  a  boarding  school,  which  enabled  it 
to  stay  there  in  safety. 

At  once  a  great  body  of  Kosa  warriors  poured  into 
the  colony,  swept  off  all  the  cattle  east  of  Uitenhage, 
burned  many  dwelling-houses,  and  murdered  several 
individuals  who  had  not  time  to  escape  to  villages  or 
lagers.  Their  success  encouraged  a  large  portion  of 
the  Tembu  tribe  to  join  them,  and  these  people  laid 
waste  the  country  north  of  the  Winterberg  just  as 
the  Kosas  had  done  south  of  that  range.  Thus  the 
European  settlement  in  the  eastern  districts  was 
reduced  to  the  towns  and  villages,  which  were 
crowded  with  helpless  and  destitute  people.  The 
farms — except  a  few  where  there  were  lagers — were 
abandoned. 


COURSE  OF  THE  WAR. 


241 


Another  disaster  followed.  The  garrison  of  the 
most  advanced  fort  on  the  frontier  was  in  urgent 
need  of  supplies  of  food  and  ammunition,  and  a  train 
of  waggons,  under  military  escort,  left  Grahamstown 
for  its  relief.  In  a  thicket  the  train  was  attacked, 
the  guard  was  obliged  to  retire,  and  the  supplies  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  Kosas. 

The  whole  burgher  force  of  the  colony  was  called 
out,  and  every  soldier  that  could  be  spared  from  duty 
in  Capetown  was  sent  to  the  front.  Hottentots  and 
other  coloured  people  were  enrolled,  waggons  and 
oxen  were  everywhere  impressed,  and  in  a  short  time 
a  mass  of  combatants  sufficiently  large  for  offensive 
operations  was  assembled  on  the  frontier.  A  greater 
difficulty  than  that  of  collecting  men,  however,  was 
that  of  collecting  provisions.  It  was  not  only  the 
army  that  the  government  had  to  feed,  but  the 
unfortunate  European  women  and  children  whose 
property  had  been  destroyed,  and  the  families  of  all 
the  Hottentots  of  the  frontier. 

Some  successes  were  gained,  but  operations  were 
stayed  by  the  collapse  of  the  transport  service,  and 
the  army  was  obliged  at  one  time  to  encamp  on  the 
coast,  where  supplies  could  be  obtained  by  sea,  in 
order  to  escape  starvation.  After  a  while  several 
regiments  of  soldiers  arrived  from  abroad,  the  trans- 
port service  was  organised  on  a  better  plan,  and 
provisions  were  sent  from  the  western  districts. 
Then  a  kind  of  lull  took  place,  in  consequence  of  a 
professal  of  submission  by  most  of  the  hostile  clans, 
whose  object  was  to  get  a  crop  of  maize  and  then 
renew  the  war. 

17 


242       TO  CLOSE  OF  SEVENTH  KAFFIR  WAR. 


During  this  lull  Sir  Peregrine  Maitland  was  re- 
called, as  every  governor  since  Lord  Charles  Somer- 
set has  been  in  whose  term  of  office  war  has  broken 
out.  He  was  succeeded  by  Sir  Henry  Pottinger, 
who  was  also  appointed  high  commissioner  for  the 
purpose  of  dealing  with  matters  beyond  the  colonial 
border.  All  succeeding  governors  of  the  Cape  Colony 
have  been  high  commissioners  also. 

The  crops  of  maize  were  gathered,  and  the  war 
was  resumed.  But  soon  afterwards  Sandile  found 
himself  hardly  pressed,  and  surrendered,  upon  which 
there  was  another  general  profession  of  submission. 
In  later  years  the  Kosas  laughed  at  the  ease  with 
which  the  white  people  were  deceived,  and  ridiculed 
the  idea  of  their  being  beaten  in  this  war.  But  the 
governor,  judging  them  by  a  European  or  an  Indian 
standard,  believed  that  they  were  subdued,  and  was 
about  to  proclaim  peace  when  he  received  news  of  his 
transfer  to  Madras. 

The  enormous  expense  of  the  war  had  brought 
home  to  the  imperial  government  the  folly  of  the 
treaty  system,  of  which  it  was  the  result,  in  a  manner 
that  the  prayers  of  the  colonists  had  never  done. 
The  ruined  eastern  farmers  were  clamouring  for  com- 
pensation from  the  British  treasury  for  their  losses, 
on  the  ground  that  they  had  protested  against  the 
measures  which  led  to  the  war,  and  earl  Glenelg  had 
accepted  the  responsibility  of  carrying  them  out. 
They  did  not  get  what  they  asked  for,  but  the  whole 
military  and  commissariat  charges  were  of  necessity 
borne  by  England.  Both  Sir  Peregrine  Maitland  and 
Sir  Henry  Pottinger  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that 


RESULTS  OF  THE  WAR. 


243 


Sir  Benjamin  D'Urban's  system  of  dealing  with  the 
Kosas  should  be  reverted  to,  and  even  Sir  George 
Napier  was  of  the  same  opinion. 

The  imperial  authorities  then  resolved  upon  another 
complete  change,  and  to  carry  it  out  they  selected 
as  governor  and  high  commissioner  Sir  Harry  Smith, 
who,  as  Colonel  Smith,  had  been  Sir  Benjamin 
D'Urban's  most  able  lieutenant  in  South  Africa, 
and  who  had  recently  won  high  military  renown  in 
India.  But  while  making  this  resolution  they  were 
beginning  to  comprehend  that  it  was  impossible  at 
a  distance  of  six  thousand  miles  to  direct  the 
affairs  of  a  country  either  safely  or  satisfactorily, 
especially  under  such  pressure  as  could  be  brought 
by  the  great  societies  to  bear  upon  a  government  in 
England  ;  and  they  were  already  impressed  with  a 
belief  that  the  best  course  they  could  adopt  would  be 
to  let  the  affairs  of  the  Cape  Colony  be  settled  by  its 
own  people.  To  the  Kaffir  war  of  1846-7  more  than 
to  any  other  event  is  due  the  liberal  constitution  that 
was  granted  a  few  years  later. 


XX. 


EVENTS  DURING  THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  SIR 
HARRY  SMITH. 

No  governor  has  ever  been  more  heartily  welcomed 
in  South  Africa  than  Sir  Harry  Smith.  Every  section 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  colony  hailed  him  as  an  old 
and  tried  friend,  and  there  was  a  general  hope  that 
better  days  had  now  set  in.  He  was  not  long  in 
making  known  the  details  of  the  changes  which  he 
came  to  effect.  Hurrying  to  the  eastern  frontier,  he 
issued  a  proclamation,  extending  the  Cape  Colony 
on  the  north  to  the  Orange  river  from  its  mouth  to 
the  junction  of  the  Kraai,  and  on  the  east  to  the 
Keiskama  and  the  Tyumie. 

The  territory  between  the  Keiskama  and  Tyumie 
on  one  side,  and  the  Kei  on  the  other,  he  then  pro- 
claimed a  British  possession,  but  to  be  kept  entirely 
for  the  use  of  the  western  clans  of  the  Kosa  tribe, 
just  as  Sir  Benjamin  D'Urban  intended  when  he 
annexed  it  under  the  name  of  the  province  of  Queen 
Adelaide.  Colonel  Mackinnon  was  appointed  a 
commissioner  to  exercise  general  authority  over  the 
clans,  an  office  which  the  governor  himself  had  once 

244 


PORTRAIT  OF  SIR  HARRY  SMITH. 


246     ADMINISTRATION  OF  SIR  HARRY  SMITH. 


held.  The  chiefs  remained  the  rulers  of  their  people 
in  many  matters,  but  vicious  customs  were  no  longer 
to  be  tolerated,  and  punishment  of  persons  accused 
of  dealing  in  witchcraft  was  to  be  suppressed.  A 
strong  body  of  troops  was  to  garrison  various  forts 
in  the  territory,  and  to  support  the  authority  of  the 
commissioner  and  his  assistants.  The  new  province 
was  named  British  Kaffraria. 

The  whole  of  the  chiefs  who  had  been  in  arms 
agreed  to  this  arrangement,  and  those  who  resided 
within  the  province  took  an  oath  to  maintain  it. 
The  others,  who  lived  east  of  the  Kei,  were  left 
perfectly  independent.  The  governor,  the  colonists, 
and  the  missionaries — whose  views  were  greatly 
modified  by  the  late  war — alike  considered  this  settle- 
ment satisfactory,  and  to  all  outward  appearance  the 
Kosas  were  pleased  with  it  ;  but  within  three  years 
the  chiefs  declared  that  they  had  only  agreed  to  it  as 
a  truce,  in  order  to  get  material  together  for  another 
trial  of  strength  with  the  Europeans. 

As  soon  as  these  arrangements  were  made,  Sir 
Harry  Smith  proceeded  to  the  territory  north  of  the 
Orange  river.  Treaties  between  the  British  govern- 
ment and  Bantu  chiefs  he  regarded  as  agreements 
between  a  full-grown  man  and  little  children,  and 
he  repeatedly  and  emphatically  declared  that  there 
should  be  no  more  of  them.  As  for  the  treaty  states 
on  the  northern  border,  he  looked  upon  them  as  the 
creations  of  supreme  folly,  and  he  therefore  intended 
to  destroy  them.  But  as  neither  Adam  Kok  nor 
Moshesh  had  violated  any  of  the  conditions  of  the 
treaties,  he  could  not  declare  the  documents  annulled, 


END  OF  THE  TREATY  STATES. 


247 


and  it  was  thus  his  object  by  some  means  to  induce 
those  persons  to  consent  to  their  own  effacement  as 
sovereign  rulers. 

The  emigrant  farmers  between  the  Riet  and 
Modder  rivers  gave  him  an  enthusiastic  reception, 
for  many  of  them  had  fought  under  his  command 
thirteen  years  before,  and  they  had  always  liked  him 
as  he  had  liked  them.  They  had  no  complaint  to 
make  against  Major  Warden,  but  they  had  a  griev- 
ance, in  that  half  of  the  land  tax  which  they  paid 
went  into  the  pocket  of  Adam  Kok,  and  they  had 
no  return  for  it.  Was  it  not  scandalous,  too,  they 
asked,  that  they  should  be  officially  termed  subjects 
of  that  petty  captain  of  a  mongrel  band  ? 

By  the  governor's  desire,  Kok  went  from  Philip- 
polis  to  Bloemfontein  to  meet  him.  At  the  conference 
Sir  Harry  stated  that  he  was  about  to  place  the  white 
people  in  the  territory  under  the  direct  rule  of  the 
queen  of  England,  but  he  would  not  interfere  with 
Kok's  government  of  his  Griquas.  The  whole  of  the 
land  between  the  Riet  and  Orange  rivers — which  was 
ten  times  as  much  as  the  Griquas  could  make  use 
of — would  be  regarded  as  their  reserve,  the  captain 
should  have  a  perpetual  pension  of  ,£200  a  year,  and 
as  some  of  his  people  had  leased  farms  north  of  the 
Riet  river,  which  would  now  be  lost  to  them,  they 
should  have  among  them  £100  a  year  in  perpetuity 
as  compensation.  The  captain  demurred  to  these 
terms,  and  spoke  of  his  dignity  in  such  a  way  that 
the  governor  lost  all  patience  and  threatened  him 
with  speedy  punishment.  He  then  submitted,  and 
affixed  his  name  to  a  document  which  put  an  end 


248     ADMINISTRATION  OF  SIR  HARRY  SMITH. 


to  the  Griqua  treaty  state,  but  left  him  far  more 
than  he  had  any  reasonable  claim  to. 

A  little  later  the  governor  had  an  interview  with 
Moshesh,  to  whom  he  made  some  valuable  presents, 
at  the  same  time  professing  his  friendship  in  the 
warmest  language.  He  then  announced  his  intention 
as  regarded  the  white  people,  and  asked  for  the 
co-operation  of  the  chief.  Probably  Moshesh  felt 
somewhat  overawed  in  the  presence  of  the  impetuous 
governor,  and  it  is  improbable  that  he  fully  compre- 
hended what  the  proposals  laid  before  him  would 
lead  to,  but  he  attached  his  mark  to  a  document 
which  destroyed  the  Basuto  treaty  state. 

These  preliminaries  having  been  settled,  on  the 
3rd  of  February  1848  Sir  Harry  Smith  issued  a 
proclamation,  adding  to  the  British  dominions  the 
whole  territory  between  the  Vaal  river,  the  Orange 
river,  and  the  Kathlamba  mountains,  under  the  name 
of  the  Orange  River  Sovereignty.  The  Europeans 
in  it  were  placed  under  the  immediate  rule  of  the 
queen,  and  a  staff  of  officials  was  appointed  to 
administer  justice  and  collect  taxes  in  her  Majesty's 
name.  Major  Warden  was  appointed  head  of  the 
new  administration.  The  coloured  people  were  left 
under  the  government  of  their  chiefs,  and  the  land 
then  actually  in  their  occupation  was  to  be  reserved 
for  their  use  and  secured  against  encroachment. 
What  might  be  termed  their  foreign  relations,  that 
is  everything  affecting  the  dealings  of  one  head  chief 
with  another,  or  of  any  chief  with  Europeans,  were 
to  be  under  the  control  of  the  British  authorities. 

Here,  at  last,  was  a  policy  such  as  nearly  every 


BATTLE  OF  BOOMPLAATS. 


249 


man  in  the  Cape  Colony  approved  of.  Unfortunately, 
however,  it  came  too  late.  The  vast  majority  of  the 
white  people  living  between  the  Modder  and  Vaal 
rivers  were  indisposed  to  submit  to  British  rule  in 
any  form,  and  prepared  to  fight  for  the  independent 
government  they  had  lived  under  for  twelve  years. 
Moshesh,  who  had  by  this  time  built  up  a  power 
far  greater  than  Sir  Harry  Smith  was  aware  of,  began 
to  devise  schemes  for  the  destruction  of  the  Sovereignty 
government  as  soon  as  he  found  that  he  was  to  be 
confined  to  a  reserve  covering  only  the  actual  ground 
on  which  his  people  lived,  that  his  practice  of  incor- 
porating members  of  other  tribes  with  his  own  was 
likely  to  be  severely  checked,  and  that  the  clans  along 
the  Caledon  were  treated  as  independent  of  him. 

Sir  Harry  Smith  had  not  long  returned  to  Cape- 
town when  he  received  intelligence  that  the  farmers 
in  the  north  of  the  Sovereignty  had  elected  Mr. 
Andries  Pretorius  to  be  their  commandant  and  had 
risen  in  arms,  that  Major  Warden  with  the  little 
garrison  of  Bloemfontein  had  been  obliged  to 
capitulate,  and  that  the  whole  of  the  English  officials 
had  been  driven  over  the  Orange  river  and  were  then 
in  a  camp  near  Colesberg.  The  energetic  governor 
at  once  directed  a  strong  body  of  troops  to  march  to 
the  Orange,  and  followed  himself  to  take  command  in 
person.  Commandant  Pretorius  did  not  attempt  to 
defend  the  passage  of  the  river,  but  made  a  stand  at  a 
strong  position  called  Boomplaats,  where  on  the  29th 
of  August  1848  a  severe  engagement  took  place, 
which  ended  in  the  defeat  of  the  farmers. 

All  who  were  inveterately  opposed  to  British  rule 


250     ADMINISTRATION  OF  SIR  HARRY  SMITH. 


now  made  their  way  in  haste  across  the  Vaal  river, 
and  there  was  no  attempt  to  follow  them.  The 
Sovereignty  government  was  re-established,  and  a 
much  larger  garrison  than  before  was  left  in  Bloem- 
fontein.  The  places  of  those  white  people  who  had 
moved  away  were  filled  by  fresh  emigrants  from  the 
Cape  Colony,  many  of  whom  were  Englishmen,  so 
that  from  this  time  forward  the  European  population 
of  the  territory  consisted  of  people  either  well  affected 
to  the  British  government  or  not  very  bitterly  opposed 
to  it. 

Leaving  now  the  region  beyond  the  Cape  Colony 
for  a  short  time,  an  event  must  be  related  which 
caused  intense  excitement  throughout  South  Africa. 
This  was  a  project  of  the  imperial  ministry  of  the 
day  to  make  of  the  Cape  a  convict  settlement.  The 
tidings  caused  a  feeling  somewhat  akin  to  what  a 
proposal  would  have  done  to  introduce  a  dreadful 
disease.  Men  and  women  of  respectability  every- 
where raised  their  voices  against  it,  for  if  a  class  of 
people  that  had  either  by  choice  or  of  necessity 
become  criminal,  and  whose  self-respect  was  destroyed 
by  conviction,  were  once  allowed  to  mix  with  the 
coloured  races,  the  country  would  no  longer  be  fit  to 
live  in.  Petitions  and  protests  against  the  measure 
were  sent  to  England  in  great  number,  and  when 
the  ship  Neptune  with  convicts  on  board  arrived  in 
Simon's  Bay,  the  people  of  the  Cape  peninsula — with 
few  exceptions — bound  themselves  together  under  a 
pledge  not  to  supply  anything  whatever  to  persons 
who  had  dealings  with  her,  nor  to  have  any  intercourse 
with  them. 


ANTI-CONVICT  AGITATION.  251 

This  pledge  was  so  strictly  carried  out  that  not  a 
particle  of  food  could  be  obtained  for  the  convicts, 
and  it  was  with  much  difficulty  that  supplies  for  the 
troops  in  garrison  were  procured.  Any  one  who 
opposed  the  popular  will  in  the  matter  did  so  on 
peril  of  being  assaulted  and  having  his  property 
destroyed.  Sir  Harry  Smith  was  very  much  opposed 
to  the  scheme  of  making  the  country  a  convict 
settlement,  but  he  was  obliged  to  carry  out  the 
instructions  which  he  received  from  England,  and 
so  he  could  not  send  the  ship  away,  though  the 
colonists  were  very  anxious  that  he  should. 

Five  months  the  Neptune  lay  at  anchor  in  Simon's 
Bay.  Her  crew  and  the  convicts  on  board  could  get 
nothing  to  eat  but  provisions  out  of  ships  of  war. 
If  the  plague  had  been  in  her  she  could  not  have  been 
more  carefully  avoided.  All  this  time  the  greatest 
excitement  prevailed  in  the  colony,  and  great  caution 
had  to  be  used  by  the  government  to  prevent  a 
collision  with  the  people.  At  length,  to  the  joy  of 
every  one,  instructions  were  received  from  England 
that  the  convicts  should  proceed  to  Tasmania,  as 
the  secretary  of  state  had  changed  his  mind,  owing 
to  the  numerous  petitions  of  the  colonists. 

The  anti-convict  agitation  had  hardly  died  out 
when  the  country  became  involved  again  in  war  with 
the  Kosa  and  Tembu  tribes.  The  principal  chiefs  of 
these  people  had  never  regarded  the  cessation  of 
hostilities  at  the  close  of  1847  as  anything  but  a  truce, 
though  they  were  crafty  enough  to  conceal  their  views 
from  even  those  Europeans  who  were  most  intimately 
acquainted  with  them,  and  it  was  only  at  a  later  date 


252     ADMINISTRATION  OF  SIR  HARRY  SMITH. 


that  this  became  known.  The  common  people  were 
ready  to  support  their  chiefs  with  their  lives  as  well 
as  their  substance,  and,  from  their  point  of  view,  they 
had  at  least  one  very  serious  grievance  against  the 
European  authorities. 

The  Bantu  believe  most  implicitly  that  diseases 
and  disasters  of  all  kinds  are  caused  by  wizards  and 
witches,  and  in  every  clan  there  is  a  recognised  witch- 
finder  who,  whenever  any  trouble  occurs,  goes  through 
certain  forms  called  l<  smelling  out,"  and  then  points  to 
an  individual  whom  he  pronounces  guilty  of  having 
caused  it.  The  individual  thus  accused  is,  without 
further  investigation,  subjected  to  torture  of  different 
kinds,  often  resulting  in  death,  and  may  consider 
himself  fortunate  if  he  escapes  with  a  few  scars  and 
the  loss  of  all  his  property.  The  British  authorities 
suppressed  the  practice  of  "  smelling  out,"  and 
punished  the  witchfinders.  They  believed  that  by  so 
doing  they  were  conferring  a  benefit  upon  the  people, 
who  would  be  grateful  for  relief  from  the  danger  ot 
being  despoiled  and  tortured  without  cause  or  guilt. 
But  the  people  supposed  to  be  relieved  looked  at  the 
matter  in  a  different  light.  The  English,  they  said, 
are  giving  us  over  to  the  wizards  and  witches  to  do  as 
they  like  with  us.  Their  view  was  what  ours  would 
be  if  a  government  were  to  suppress  punishment  for 
murder  and  imprison  the  constables  who  arrested  a 
man  for  committing  it. 

Only  a  slight  pretext  was  therefore  needed  for  a 
renewal  of  the  war,  and  any  accident  might  have 
precipitated  it,  but,  as  it  happened,  the  frontier 
colonists    received    timely   warning    of  what  was 


EIGHTH  KAFFIR  WAR. 


253 


coming.  It  became  known  that  a  man  named 
Umlanjeni,  who  was  credited  by  his  people  with 
great  magical  knowledge,  was  issuing  charms  which 
he  asserted  would  turn  bullets  fired  at  their  wearers 
into  water,  and  the  Kosa  warriors  were  repairing  to 
him  in  hundreds  at  a  time  to  procure  them. 

On  receiving  a  report  to  this  effect,  Sir  Harry  Smith 
proceeded  to  King-Williamstown,  and  convened  a 
meeting  of  all  the  chiefs  in  British  Kaffraria,  in  order 
to  discuss  matters  with  them.  Sandile,  the  most 
powerful  among  them,  did  not  appear.  Still,  as  the 
others  made  no  complaints  of  any  kind,  and  seemed 
to  be  prosperous  and  happy,  the  governor  thought 
they  could  not  have  war  in  their  minds.  He  returned 
to  Capetown,  but  reports  followed  him  that  there 
would  surely  be  a  speedy  outbreak. 

With  all  the  soldiers  that  could  be  mustered, 
Sir  Harry  was  soon  back  in  King-Williamstown,  and 
as  Sandile  was  known  to  be  in  one  of  the  forests  at 
the  sources  of  the  Keiskama,  a  body  of  troops  was 
sent  to  arrest  him.  On  the  way  the  troops  were 
attacked  in  the  Boomah  pass  by  thousands  of  Kosas, 
and  lost  twenty-three  men  killed  and  as  many  wounded 
in  fighting  their  way  through.  A  few  hours  later  in 
another  part  of  the  country  a  patrol  of  fifteen  soldiers 
was  met  by  some  of  Sandile's  people,  and  all  were 
put  to  death. 

On  the  following  morning — Christmas  1850,  three 
villages  named  Auckland,  Woburn,  and  Johannesburg, 
close  to  the  colonial  side  of  the  border,  were  surprised 
by  Kosas,  when  forty-six  men  were  murdered  in  cold 
blood,  and  the  houses  were  burned  to  the  ground. 


254     ADMINISTRATION  OF  SIR  HARRY  SMITH. 


In  this  manner  the  eighth  Kaffir  war  commenced, 
and  it  was  the  longest  and  most  costly  in  blood  and 
treasure  that  the  Cape  Colony  has  ever  been  engaged 
in.  The  frontier  districts  were  ravaged  once  more, 
and  the  burghers  of  all  parts  of  the  country  were 
obliged  to  leave  their  homes  and  take  up  arms.  The 
Kosas  were  joined  by  a  great  part  of  the  Tembu  tribe 
and  by  several  hundreds  of  Hottentots  from  the 
settlement  at  the  Kat  river  and  other  places.  Even 
some  of  the  soldiers  of  the   Hottentot  regiment 

o 

deserted  and  went  over  to  them,  as  the  colonists  had 
always  feared  would  some  day  happen. 

A  very  sad  event  was  the  loss  of  the  transport 
steamship  Birkenhead^  which  was  sent  from  England 
with  troops  to  assist  in  the  war.  She  was  proceeding 
to  Algoa  Bay  when  in  the  middle  of  the  night  she 
struck  on  a  reef  running  out  from  Danger  Point. 
The  women,  children,  and  sick  people  were  put  into 
the  boats,  while  the  soldiers  were  drawn  up  on  the 
deck  as  on  a  parade  ground.  The  sea  was  swarming 
with  sharks,  the  shore  was  so  far  distant  that  the 
strongest  swimmer  could  not  hope  to  reach  it,  and 
the  wreck  was  breaking  up  fast.  Yet  those  brave 
men  stood  calmly  there  till  the  boats  with  the  help- 
less ones  got  away.  Then,  just  as  the  ship  fell  to 
pieces  and  sank,  they  leaped  into  the  sea,  and  a  few, 
by  clinging  to  floating  wreckage,  got  to  land.  Four 
hundred  perished. 

There  had  never  before  been  so  strong  a  force  in 
South  Africa  as  there  was  in  Kaffraria  at  this  time. 
For  more  than  two  years  the  soldiers,  burghers,  and 
auxiliaries  of  various  kinds  were  employed  against 


EIGHTH  KAFFIR  WAR. 


255 


an  enemy  that  could  not  be  brought  to  a  decisive 
action,  but  that  seemed  to  go  from  one  forest  to 
another  with  the  facility  of  birds,  and  that  carried 
on  war  by  doubling  upon  pursuers,  cutting  off 
stragglers,  and  seizing  everything  that  was  not 
strongly  guarded.  At  length,  however,  the  food  of 
the  hostile  clans  was  completely  exhausted,  and  the 
chiefs  then  asked  for  peace,  which  was  gladly  granted. 

It  was  not  Sir  Harry  Smith's  fault,  but  his  mis- 
fortune, that  the  war  had  taken  place.  It  would 
have  been  beyond  the  power  of  any  man  to  have 
staved  it  off  permanently,  for  even  the  settlement 
made  at  its  close,  as  will  hereafter  be  seen,  was  only 
regarded  by  the  Kosas  as  a  truce.  But,  following 
the  invariable  custom  in  such  cases,  the  secretary 
of  state  recalled  the  governor.  Sir  George  Cath- 
cart,  who  was  sent  out  as  his  successor,  took  over 
the  duty  on  the  31st  of  March  1852,  and  thereafter 
directed  operations  in  person  until  the  conclusion  of 
peace. 

He  located  the  Tembus — who  were  really  subdued 
— in  the  district  that  is  now  called  Glen  Grey,  and 
gave  much  of  the  remainder  of  the  land  they  had 
occupied  for  the  last  quarter  of  a  century  to  colonists 
to  be  held  under  military  tenure.  It  was  for  a  time 
called  North  Victoria,  but  subsequently  became 
known  as  the  district  of  Oueenstown,  from  the 
neat  and  flourishing  village  that  was  built  near  its 
centre.  The  Fingos,  who  had  fought  well  on  the 
European  side,  received  the  best  of  the  land  along 
the  foot  of  the  Amatola  mountains  and  some  ex- 
tensive tracts  forfeited   by  the  Tembus.    The  in- 


1 


SETTLEMENT  OF  BRITISH  KAFFKARIA.  257 

dependent  section  of  the  Kosa  tribe,  under  the  chief 
Kreli,  was  left  in  possession  of  the  territory  between 
the  Bashee  and  the  Kei  ;  and  the  western  clans  of 
this  tribe,  who  had  been  British  subjects  since  1847, 
had  all  the  open  ground  from  the  Kei  to  the 
Keiskama  assigned  to  them. 

The  government  of  British  Kaffraria  was  re- 
established with  a  strong  and  reliable  force  to 
support  it.  Before  the  war  there  had  been  a  large 
body  of  Kaffir  police,  but  at  the  commencement  of 
hostilities  the  men  composing  it  had  gone  over  to 
their  own  people.  Their  place  was  now  taken  by 
a  corps  composed  chiefly  of  young  colonists,  with  a 
few  Fingos  attached  to  it  as  detectives.  The  men, 
who  were  armed  with  the  best  weapons,  were 
mounted,  and  proved  a  most  useful  body  for  either 
military  or  police  purposes.  Several  regiments  of 
British  troops  were  also  stationed  in  the  province. 


XXI. 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT  BY  GREAT  BRITAIN  OF  THE 
INDEPENDENCE  OF  THE  SOUTH  AFRICAN  RE- 
PUBLIC, AND  ABANDONMENT  OF  THE  ORANGE 
RIVER  SOVEREIGNTY. 

FOR  a  short  time  after  the  restoration  of  British 
rule  in  the  Orange  River  Sovereignty,  everything 
went  on  smoothly,  and  the  people  appeared  to  be 
prosperous.  But  this  satisfactory  state  of  affairs  did 
not  continue  long.  Moshesh  was  unwilling  that  the 
growth  of  his  power  should  be  restricted,  and  as 
he  did  not  wish  openly  to  break  with  the  British 
government,  he  endeavoured  secretly  to  foment 
such  disturbances  as  would  destroy  the  arrange- 
ments then  existing.  He— a  self-made  Bantu  ruler 
— cannot  be  blamed  for  doing  this  ;  but  what  can 
be  said  of  the  treaty  system  which  enabled  him  to 
build  up  sufficient  power  to  do  it  ? 

It  was  easy  for  him  to  bring  about  a  collision 
between  one  of  his  vassal  captains  and  the  chief 
Sikonyela,  while  all  the  time  he  was  professing  to 
be  an  advocate  of  peace  and  apparently  making 

sacrifices  to  secure  it.    Presently  other  clans  became 

258 


FIRST  BASUTO  WAR. 


259 


involved  in  the  quarrel,  and  Major  Warden,  who  had 
done  all  that  was  possible  to  restore  order  by  advice 
and  expostulation,  then  tried  to  quell  the  disturbance 
by  force. 

This  course  of  action  was  regarded  by  the  Euro- 
peans in  the  Sovereignty  as  a  mistake.  They  main- 
tained that  the  government  ought  not  to  meddle 
with  matters  affecting  only  Bantu  clans,  as  it  had 
no  spare  strength  to  squander,  and  should  reserve 
its  interference  for  occasions  when  Europeans  were 
threatened  with  damage.  But  Sir  Harry  Smith 
thought  differently.  He  had  no  idea  that  the 
Basuto  power  was  as  great  as  it  afterwards  proved 
to  be,  nor  indeed  had  any  other  European  in  South 
Africa.  He  was  of  opinion  that  by  adding  the 
English  soldiers  at  Bloemfontein  and  an  equal 
number  of  farmers  to  any  side  in  a  quarrel  in  the 
Sovereignty,  he  could  turn  the  scale  against  the 
other  side.  And  so  it  was  by  his  instructions  that 
Major  Warden  attempted  to  punish  the  disturbers 
of  the  peace. 

With  one  hundred  and  sixty-two  soldiers,  one 
hundred  and  twenty  farmers,  and  from  a  thousand 
to  fifteen  hundred  blacks,  the  major  marched  against 
Molitsane,  the  vassal  of  Moshesh  who  was  held  to 
be  the  cause  of  the  disturbance,  and  at  Viervoet  was 
drawn  into  a  trap  and  suffered  a  crushing  defeat. 
No  one  was  more  surprised  than  Moshesh  himself 
at  the  issue  of  the  battle,  for  he  had  not  believed 
that  the  troops  and  farmers  under  Major  Warden's 
command  could  have  been  driven  from  the  field 
so  easily.    He  at  once  threw  off  the  mask  he  had 


260  INDEPENDENCE  OF  SOUTH  AFRICAN  REPUBLIC. 

hitherto  worn,  and  laid  aside  his  assumed  respect 
for  British  authority. 

It  has  before  been  stated  that  the  majority  of  the 
farmers  in  the  Sovereignty  were  well  affected  towards 
England,  but  a  strong  minority  were  at  heart  opposed 
to  English  rule,  though  up  to  this  time  not  inclined 
to  offer  open  resistance.  These  last  were  hardly  less 
surprised  than  Moshesh  at  the  decisive  success  of 
the  Basuto  in  the  battle  of  Viervoet.  They  knew 
that  no  aid  could  be  sent  to  Major  Warden  from 
the  Cape  Colony,  which  was  then  involved  in  a  war 
of  its  own,  and  so,  as  a  matter  of  self-protection, 
they  set  aside  their  duty  to  the  Sovereignty  govern- 
ment and  entered  into  an  engagement  with  Moshesh. 
They  promised  not  to  take  part  in  hostilities  against 
him,  and  he  engaged  not  to  allow  his  people  to 
molest  them.  On  both  sides  this  agreement  was 
faithfully  kept. 

The  Europeans  who  were  loyal  to  the  British 
government,  on  the  contrary,  were  sought  out  by 
bands  of  Basuto  and  plundered  mercilessly.  The 
clans  along  the  Caledon  were  dispersed,  and  were 
reduced  to  great  distress.  Major  Warden  was 
perfectly  helpless,  for  without  a  strong  military  force 
order  could  not  be  restored,  and  he  had  only  men 
enough  to  guard  the  fort  in  Bloemfontein. 

Some  of  the  farmers  now  sent  a  request  to  Com- 
mandant Pretorius  to  come  and  devise  some  plan 
to  put  an  end  to  the  prevailing  anarchy,  and 
Moshesh  joined  in  the  invitation.  Since  the  battle 
of  Boomplaats  Pretorius  had  been  living  north  of 
the  Vaal,  with  a  reward  of  ,£2,000  for  his  apprehen- 


THE  SAND  RIVER  CONVENTION.  261 


sion  hanging  over  his  head  all  the  time.  When 
urged  to  interfere  in  matters  in  the  Sovereignty,  he 
wrote  to  Major  Warden  announcing  his  intention 
to  do  so,  but  intimating  that  he  would  prefer  to 
make  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  British  govern- 
ment, in  which  the  independence  of  his  adherents 
should  be  acknowledged.  Major  Warden  hereupon 
reported  to  Sir  Harry  Smith  that  the  fate  of  the 
Sovereignty  depended  upon  the  movements  of  a 
proscribed  man.  He  had  been  instructed  to  act 
strictly  on  the  defensive  until  troops  could  be 
spared  from  the  Kaffir  war  to  aid  him,  but  if  Pre- 
torius  and  the  emigrants  north  of  the  Vaal  united 
with  the  Europeans  who  ignored  his  authority  and 
with  Moshesh,  he  would  be  entirely  at  their  mercy. 

Under  these  circumstances  the  governor  decided 
to  acknowledge  the  independence  of  the  Transvaal 
emigrants,  as  the  imperial  ministers  had  announced 
their  determination  not  to  add  another  square  inch 
of  ground  in  South  Africa  to  the  queen's  dominions, 
and  advantages  which  could  be  obtained  by  a  con- 
vention were  not  to  be  had  in  any  other  way.  Two 
assistant  commissioners — Major  Hogg  and  Mr.  Owen 
— were  therefore  sent  to  make  the  necessary  arrange- 
ments with  Commandant  Pretorius  and  a  number 
of  delegates  from  the  Transvaal  people.  The  con- 
ference took  place  on  a  farm  in  the  Sovereignty,  and 
there,  on  the  17th  of  January  1852,  a  document — 
known  ever  since  as  the  Sand  River  convention — 
was  signed,  in  which  the  British  government 
guaranteed  to  the  emigrants  north  of  the  Vaal  the 
right  to  manage  their  own    affairs  without  inter- 


262  INDEPENDENCE  OF  SOUTH  AFRICAN  REPUBLIC. 


ference.  The  convention  was  confirmed  by  the 
secretary  of  state  for  the  colonies,  and  was  ratified 
by  the  volksraad,  so  that  thereafter  the  South 
African  Republic — as  the  country  was  named — had 
a  legal  as  well  as  an  actual  existence  in  the  eyes 
of  the  British  government. 

The  Sovereignty  was  thus  preserved  from  inter- 
ference by  Mr.  Pretorius,  and  its  government  became 
somewhat  stronger  than  before,  because  a  good  many 
of  those  who  had  ignored  Major  Warden  moved  over 
the  Vaal.  But  Moshesh's  people  still  continued  to 
plunder  and  harass  the  loyal  farmers,  and  the  clans 
that  had  opposed  him  remained  in  great  distress. 

This  was  the  state  of  matters  until  Sir  George 
Cathcart  was  able  to  spare  a  strong  body  of  troops 
from  British  Kaffraria,  with  which  he  marched  north- 
ward to  restore  order.  He  reached  Platberg  on  the 
Caledon  with  a  splendidly  equipped  force,  consisting 
of  nearly  two  thousand  infantry,  five  hundred  cavalry, 
and  some  artillerymen  with  two  field-guns,  hoping 
that  the  mere  presence  of  such  a  body  of  troops 
would  enable  him  to  settle  everything  to  his  satis- 
faction, without  having  recourse  to  hostilities.  From 
Platberg,  after  a  minute  investigation  of  affairs,  he 
sent  an  ultimatum  to  Moshesh,  demanding  that 
chiefs  compliance  with  certain  conditions  and  the 
delivery  within  three  days  of  ten  thousand  head  of 
horned  cattle  and  one  thousand  horses,  as  compensa- 
tion for  the  robberies  committed  by  the  Basuto  people. 

Moshesh  personal!}*  was  willing  to  accede  to  the 
high  commissioner's  terms,  for  he  dreaded  a  struggle 
with  the  British  power  now  that  the  Tembus  had 


CONDITION  OF  THE  BASUTO  TRIBE. 


263 


been  subdued,  the  Kosas  were  ceasing  to  fight,  and 
the  Transvaal  farmers  were  pacified.  He  knew  that 
the  army  at  Platberg  was  only  a  small  portion  of 
the  force  at  Sir  George  Cathcart's  disposal,  and  he 
was  in  that  condition  that  any  serious  reverse  might 
ruin  him.  The  great  tribe  that  called  him  master 
was  composed  of  the  fragments  of  many  others  that 
had  not  yet  thoroughly  blended,  and  disaster  would 
cause  its  disintegration.  There  were  numerous  indi- 
viduals in  it  of  higher  rank  by  birth  than  he,  so  that 
elements  of  discord  were  present,  though  they  did 
not  show  themselves  in  times  of  prosperity.  In 
short,  to  save  his  dynasty  it  was  necessary  for 
Moshesh  to  avoid  defeat. 

But  the  Basuto  people  preferred  a  trial  of  strength 
to  the  surrender  of  so  many  cattle  and  horses  as  the 
high  commissioner  demanded,  and  the  great  chief 
could  not  afford  to  act  in  opposition  to  their  wishes, 
as  a  ruler  by  hereditary  right  could  have  done.  The 
result  was  a  kind  of  compromise.  Moshesh  sent  in 
three  thousand  five  hundred  head  of  cattle,  with  a 
faint  hope  that  they  would  be  accepted  as  sufficient, 
and  then  assembled  his  warriors  at  Thaba  Bosigo  to 
resist  the  British  army  if  it  should  advance. 

The  country  of  the  Basuto  is  an  exceedingly 
difficult  one  to  penetrate.  It  is  the  Switzerland  of 
South  Africa.  Resting  on  the  interior  plateau  of  the 
continent,  five  thousand  feet  above  sea  level,  it  rises 
like  a  gigantic  billow  in  successive  waves  of  moun- 
tains until  the  summit  of  the  Drakensberg  is  reached, 
the  highest  peaks  of  which  arc  over  eleven  thousand 
feet  above  the  ocean.    The  lower  valleys  are  remark- 


BATTLE  OF  BEREA. 


265 


ably  fertile,  so  that  the  country  can  support  a  large 
population,  though  no  other  use  is  made  of  the 
higher  lands  than  to  pasture  cattle  in  summer. 
There  are  many  hills  with  flat  tops  and  precipitous 
sides  that  can  easily  be  defended  against  an  enemy, 
and  of  all  these  Thaba  Bosigo,  the  seat  of  Moshesh's 
government,  is  the  strongest. 

On  the  20th  of  December  1852  Sir  George  Cath- 
cart  crossed  the  Caledon  from  Platberg,  and  entered 
Basutoland,  with  the  intention  of  occupying  Moshesh's 
mountain.  He  made  the  great  mistake  of  under- 
estimating the  strength  and  courage  of  his  opponent, 
and  not  giving  him  any  credit  for  ability  as  a  strate- 
gist. His  officers  took  no  thought  about  the  matter, 
but  looked  upon  their  occupation  of  Thaba  Bosigo  as 
a  certainty,  and  their  inarch  as  a  pleasant  excursion. 
The  army  entered  the  Basuto  territory  in  three 
divisions. 

By  a  simple  stratagem — that  of  exposing  an 
immense  herd  of  cattle  in  a  position  on  the  Berea 
mountain  where  their  capture  appeared  easy — one  of 
the  British  divisions  was  drawn  into  an  ambush,  and 
after  suffering  considerable  loss  was  obliged  to  retreat 
to  the  camp  at  Platberg.  It  drove  before  it,  however, 
some  four  thousand  horned  cattle,  with  a  few  horses 
and  sheep,  which  the  enemy  was  unable  to  recover. 

Another  of  the  divisions,  under  Sir  George  Cath- 
ead: in  person,  suddenly  found  itself  face  to  face  with 
about  six  thousand  Basuto  horsemen  armed  with 
European  weapons,  and  though  the  discipline  of  the 
soldiers  enabled  them  to  keep  the  untrained  mass 
from  breaking  their  ranks,  no  further  advance  was 


266 


WISE  ACTION  OF  MOSHESH. 


now  thought  of.  A  little  before  dusk  the  third 
division  managed  to  join  the  commander-in-chief, 
and  a  defensible  position  among  rocks  was  then 
taken  for  the  night.  At  daybreak  next  morning  the 
army  commenced  its  retreat  to  the  camp  at  Platberg. 
It  had  lost  thirty-seven  men  killed,  fifteen  wounded, 
and  one  prisoner,  who  was  murdered  by  his  captors. 

Though  he  had  gained  such  a  success,  the  wise 
Basuto  chief's  first  thought  after  the  battle  was  to 
obtain  peace.  He  sent  for  the  reverend  Mr.  Casalis, 
one  of  his  missionaries,  and  after  consulting  with  him, 
the  most  politic  document  that  has  ever  been  penned 
in  South  Africa  was  written.    It  was  as  follows  : — 

"  Thaba  Bosigo, 

''Midnight,  20th  December,  1852. 
"  Your  Excellency, — This  day  you  have  fought 
against  my  people,  and  taken  much  cattle.  As  the 
object  for  which  you  have  come  is  to  have  a  com- 
pensation for  Boers,  I  beg  you  will  be  satisfied  with 
what  you  have  taken.  I  entreat  peace  from  you — 
you  have  chastised — let  it  be  enough,  I  pray  you  ; 
and  let  me  be  no  longer  considered  an  enemy  to  the 
Queen.  I  will  try  all  I  can  to  keep  my  people  in 
order  in  the  future. 

"  Your  humble  servant, 

"  MOSHESH." 

It  was  some  time  before  a  messenger  could  be 
found  who  would  venture  near  the  English  sentries, 
and  when  at  length  one  left  Thaba  Bosigo  with  a  flag 
of  truce,  Sir  George  Cathcart  was  retiring  to  his  camp 


ARRIVAL  OF  SIR  GEORGE  CLERK.  267 


at  Platberg.  The  messenger  followed  and  delivered 
the  letter. 

The  English  general,  on  his  part,  was  not  less 
anxious  for  peace.  In  his  opinion  there  was  every- 
thing to  lose  in  a  war  with  a  tribe  so  strong  as  he 
had  found  the  Basuto  to  be,  and  so  he  eagerly  availed 
himself  of  the  opening  for  escape  from  a  grave  diffi- 
culty which  Moshesh's  letter  afforded.  He  announced 
that  he  was  satisfied  with  the  number  of  cattle  cap- 
tured, that  he  considered  past  obligations  fulfilled, 
and  that  he  would  at  once  retire.  There  was  much 
murmuring  in  the  English  camp  when  this  announce- 
ment was  made,  but  the  general  shut  his  ears  to  it 
all,  and  before  the  end  of  the  month  the  army  reached 
the  Orange  on  its  return  march. 

For  some  time  the  imperial  government  had  been 
undecided  whether  to  retain  the  Sovereignty  as  a 
British  possession  or  not,  but  as  soon  as  intelligence 
of  the  engagement  with  the  Basuto  reached  England 
a  decision  was  formed.  The  next  mail  brought  a 
despatch  from  the  secretary  of  state  for  the  colonies 
that  the  territory  was  to  be  abandoned. 

To  carry  this  resolution  into  effect,  Sir  George 
Clerk  was  sent  out  as  special  commissioner.  He 
called  upon  the  European  inhabitants  to  elect  a  body 
of  representatives  to  take  over  the  government ;  but 
when  the  representatives  assembled,  they  objected  in 
the  strongest  terms  to  be  abandoned  by  Great  Britain, 
for  even  while  they  were  debating,  Moshesh  was 
crushing  Sikonyela  and  another  of  his  opponents, 
and  adding  their  territory  to  his  own.  In  effect,  the 
representative  assembly  said  to  Sir  George  Clerk  that 


268      ABANDONMENT  OF  THE  SOVEREIGNTY. 


they  held  England  in  honour  bound  to  reduce  the 
great  barbaric  power  she  had  done  so  much  to  build 
up.  When  that  was  done,  they  would  not  need 
military  assistance,  and  would  be  prepared  to  take 
over  the  government  of  the  country,  though  they 
wished  to  remain  permanently  connected  with  the 
British  empire.  The  special  commissioner,  however, 
was  prevented  by  his  instructions  from  paying  any 
attention  to  language  of  this  kind,  and  was  obliged 
to  term  those  who  used  it  "  obstructionists."  The 
assembly  then  sent  two  delegates  to  England  to 
implore  the  queen's  government  and  the  parliament 
not  to  abandon  them,  but  those  gentlemen  met  with 
no  success  in  their  mission. 

Sir  George  Clerk  now  encouraged  the  remnant  of 
the  party  that  was  at  heart  opposed  to  British  rule  to 
assert  itself  openly.  With  his  concurrence,  one  of 
its  ablest  leaders  returned  from  beyond  the  Vaal, 
and  went  about  the  country  addressing  the  people 
and  arguing  that  connection  with  England  meant 
nothing  but  restraint,  for  no  protection  whatever  was 
received.  In  the  special  commissioner's  phraseology, 
Mr.  Stander  and  those  of  his  way  of  thinking,  who 
used  language  to  that  effect,  were  "  well-disposed." 

This  party  elected  a  body  of  delegates,  who  met 
in  Bloemfontein,  and  opened  negotiations  with  Sir 
George  Clerk.  The  "  obstructionist  "  assembly  pro- 
tested, and  was  thereupon  dissolved  by  the  special 
commissioner,  when  most  of  its  members  and  sup- 
porters, finding  resistance  to  the  will  of  the  British 
government  useless,  went  over  to  the  "well-disposed" 
side,  and  tried  to  get  as  good  terms  as  possible. 


SOUTH  AFRICA  AFTER  1854. 


20Q, 


Gold  was  freely  used  to  suppress  complaints — it  was 
termed  part  compensation  for  losses, — and  nothing 
that  was  possible  to  be  done  was  neglected  to  make 
the  abandonment  acceptable  to  the  people  generally. 
The  result  was  that  on  the  23rd  of  February  1854  a 
convention  was  signed  at  Bloemfontein  by  Sir  George 
Clerk  and  the  members  of  the  "  well-disposed " 
assembly,  by  which  the  government  of  the  territory 
previously  termed  the  Orange  River  Sovereignty, 
thereafter  the  Orange  Free  State,  was  transferred, 
and  its  future  independence  was  guaranteed. 

There  were  now  in  South  Africa  five  distinct 
European  governments,  namely  of — 


In  1854  the  Cape  Colony  comprised  all  the  land 
between  the  Orange  river  on  the  north,  the  Indian 
ocean  on  the  south,  the  Atlantic  ocean  on  the  west, 
and  British  Kaffraria  and  the  rivers  Indwe  and  Tees 
on  the  east. 

Natal  comprised  the  territory  between  the  Buffalo 
and  Tugela  rivers  on  the  north-east,  the  Umzimkulu 
river  on  the  south-east,  the  Kathlamba  mountains  or 
Drakensberg  on  the  west,  and  the  Indian  ocean  on 
the  east. 

British  Kaffraria  comprised  the  territory  between 
the  rivers  Klipplaats,  Tyumie,  and  Keiskama  on  the 


1.  The  Cape  Colony, 

2.  Natal, 

3.  British  Kaffraria, 

4.  The  South  African  Republic, 

5.  The  Orange  Free  State. 


Independent 
Republics. 


British 
Possessions. 


270 


SOUTH  AFRICA  AFTER  1854. 


west,  the  river  Kei  from  the  junction  of  the  Klip- 
plaats  to  the  sea  on  the  north-east,  and  the  Indian 
ocean  on  the  south-east. 

The  boundaries  of  the  South  African  Republic 
were  undefined,  but,  roughly  speaking,  they  were  the 
Limpopo  river  on  the  north,  the  Vaal  river  and  a  line 
a  little  above  Kuruman  on  the  south,  the  Kalahari 
desert  on  the  west,  and  the  mountainous  country 
corresponding  with  the  Drakensberg  on  the  east. 

The  Orange  Free  State  comprised  the  territory 
between  the  Vaal  river,  the  Orange  river,  and  the 
Drakensberg,  except  Basutoland  and  the  reserves  set 
apart  for  coloured  people. 


XXII. 


THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 

THE  story  of  the  Cape  Colony  from  this  time 
onward  is  very  different  from  that  of  the  preceding 
period.  Arbitrary  rule  is  henceforth  a  thing  of  the 
past,  and  a  constitution  of  a  liberal  nature,  granted 
by  Great  Britain,  gradually  removes  the  memory  of 
old  grievances,  and  creates  a  strong  feeling  of  loyalty 
to  the  throne  and  the  empire  in  all  sections  of  the 
civilised  inhabitants. 

The  imperial  authorities  having  resolved  to  confer 
upon  the  Cape  people  the  privilege  of  parliamentary 
institutions,  the  details  were  referred  for  arrangement 
to  the  legislative  council,  and  when  everything  was 
settled,  on  the  nth  of  March  1853  the  constitution 
was  promulgated  by  an  order  in  council.  By  it  two 
chambers — termed  the  legislative  council  and  the 
house  of  assembly — were  created,  both  of  which 
are  elective.  The  upper  chamber  for  some  years 
consisted  of  fifteen  members,  but  in  course  of  time 
this  number  was  increased  to  twenty-two,  beside  the 
chief  justice  as  president.  For  the  purpose  of  elect- 
ing the  members,  the  colony  was  divided  into  two 


272    THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 


provinces,  more  recently  into  eight  circles.  The 
members  hold  their  seats  for  seven  years.  The 
house  of  assembly  on  its  creation  consisted  of  forty- 
six  members,  elected  by  twenty-two  divisions,  Cape- 
town having  two  more  representatives  than  any  of 
the  others.  It  now  consists  of  seventy-six  members, 
elected  by  thirty-seven  divisions,  and  holding  their 
seats  for  five  years.  Parliament  is  summoned  to  meet 
by  the  governor,  but  a  period  of  twelve  months  must 
not  elapse  between  the  sessions. 

The  right  to  vote  for  members  of  both  chambers 
was  conferred  upon  every  male  British  subject  over 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  who  occupied  a  house  or 
land  worth  £25,  or  was  in  receipt  of  a  salary  of  ^25 
a  year  with  board  and  lodging  or  ,£50  without. 
There  was  no  distinction  as  regards  race,  or  colour, 
or  religion,  or  manner  of  living.  In  course  of  time, 
however,  it  was  found  expedient  to  alter  these  qualifi- 
cations, as  in  the  Cape  Colony  there  is  a  large  class 
of  people  unable  to  comprehend  the  nature  of  repre- 
sentative institutions,  and  yet  in  possession  of  sufficient 
property  to  bring  them  within  one  of  the  conditions 
specified  above.  In  1892  the  right  to  vote  was  re- 
stricted to  such  adult  male  subjects  as  are  able  to 
sign  their  names  and  write  down  their  addresses  and 
employment,  and  who  either  occupy  property  worth 
£7$,  or  receive  £50  a  year  as  salary  or  wages. 

Parliament  met  for  the  first  time  in  June  1854. 
Since  that  date  no  law  can  be  made  without  the 
approval  of  both  houses  and  the  sanction  of  the 
governor.  The  right  is  reserved  to  the  queen  to 
disallow  any  law  so  made  within  two  years  of  its 


THE  CAPE  PARLIAMENT 


273 


reaching  England,  but  in  practice  this  right  is  very 
rarely  used.  The  ordinary  yearly  sessions  of  the 
parliament  usually  last  about  three  months,  from 
early  in  June  to  the  end  of  August. 

Naturally  the  colonists  were  gratified  with  the 
change  from  arbitrary  to  representative  government, 


PARLIAMENT  HOUSE,  CAPETOWN. 

but  there  was  still  much  to  wish  for.  The  officials 
of  highest  rank,  who  formed  the  executive  council 
and  were  therefore  the  governor's  advisers,  continued 
to  be  sent  out  from  England,  and  held  their  appoint- 
ments during  the  pleasure  of  the  secretary  of  state 
for  the  colonies,  no  matter  whether  parliament  liked 

19 


274    THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 


them  or  not.  They  framed  all  government  bills,  and 
no  measure  involving  the  expenditure  of  money 
could  be  brought  before  the  house  of  assembly 
unless  introduced  by  them.  The}'  possessed  the 
right  of  discussion,  though  not  of  voting,  in  both 
chambers. 

This  condition  of  things  lasted  eighteen  years.  In 
1872  responsible  government  was  introduced,  and 
the  ministers — as  the  high  officials  are  termed — have 
since  that  time  been  the  leaders  of  the  party  in 
parliament  that  can  command  the  largest  number 
of  votes  in  support  of  their  measures.  They  are  the 
colonial  secretary,  the  treasurer,  the  attorney-general, 
the  commissioner  of  public  works,  and  the  secretary 
for  agriculture.  There  is  also  the  premier,  or  prime 
minister,  who  may  hold  any  of  these  appointments, 
or  none  of  them  ;  but  who,  in  any  case,  has  all 
matters  connected  with  the  aboriginal  races  directly 
under  his  care.  When  any  important  measure,  in- 
troduced by  the  government,  fails  to  secure  the 
support  of  a  majority  of  the  members  of  parliament, 
the  ministers  must  resign,  and  the  leader  of  the 
opposition  is  entrusted  by  the  governor  with  the 
task  of  forming  a  new  cabinet. 

In  practice  this  system  gives  to  the  men  who  are 
chosen  by  the  people  the  power  of  making  and 
altering  laws,  of  levying  taxes  and  controlling  the 
manner  of  using  the  public  money,  and  of  creating 
and  doing  away  with  offices.  But  it  is  a  system 
adapted  only  for  races  of  high  civilisation.  The 
majority  of  the  day  possesses  supreme  power,  and  if 
it  came  to  consist  of  men  whose  constituents  were 


THE  DUTCH  LANGUAGE. 


275 


incapable  of  acting  with  moderation,  the  minority 
could  be  more  grievously  oppressed  than  under  the 
purest  autocratic  rule.  There  are  many  thinking 
people  in  the  colony  who  regard  the  franchise  as  still 
too  low  for  perfect  safety,  with  the  existing  form  of 
government  and  the  political  equality  of  the  various 
races  that  compose  the  population. 

Until  1882  the  English  language  only  could  be 
used  in  debate  in  parliament,  just  as  in  the  pro- 
ceedings of  courts  of  justice  or  in  transactions  in 
the  public  offices.  This  was  decidedly  unfair,  for 
Dutch  is  habitually  spoken  by  fully  three-fifths  of 
the  white  people  in  the  colony,  and  by  a  still  larger 
proportion  of  the  coloured  inhabitants,  exclusive  of 
Bantu.  It  will  be  remembered  that  its  suppression 
as  the  official  language  was  one  of  the  chief  grievances 
that  rankled  in  the  breasts  of  the  old  colonists.  The 
parliament  could  not  be  said  in  truth  to  represent  the 
people  as  long  as  the  language  of  the  majority  was  pro- 
scribed, and  in  point  of  fact  comparatively  few  of  the 
old  stock  sought  admission  into  it.  It  was  some  time 
before  they  realised  the  full  significance  of  responsible 
government,  but  when  they  did,  one  of  their  first  acts 
was  to  secure  the  same  rights  for  their  own  tongue  as 
for  the  English.  Either  can  now  be  used  in  parlia- 
ment, courts  of  law,  and  public  offices,  at  the 
choice  of  the  speaker,  and  no  one  is  admitted  into 
the  ordinary  branches  of  the  civil  service  without  a 
perfect  knowledge  of  both. 

It  would  be  incorrect  to  say  that  this  measure  has 
raised  the  tone  of  debate  in  parliament  or  improved 
the  administration  of  justice  in  the  slightest  degree, 


276    THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 

but  it  certainly  has  made  the  parliament  more  truly 
representative  of  the  people,  and  it  has  removed  a 
serious  obstacle  to  the  perfect  blending  of  the  colonists 
of  Dutch  and  British  blood,  which  is  now  happily 
in  rapid  progress. 


XXIII. 


THE  PROVINCE  OF  BRITISH  KAFFRARIA. 

BEFORE  1857  there  were  hardly  any  Bantu  in  the 
Cape  Colony  except  the  Fingos  who  had  been  in- 
troduced by  Sir  Benjamin  D'Urban  and  the  Tembus 
of  Glen  Grey,  while  British  KafTraria  —  the  territory 
between  the  Keiskama  and  the  Kei — had  very  few 
white  inhabitants  except  soldiers,  as  the  land  there 
was  reserved  for  the  section  of  the  Kosa  tribe  that 
was  under  English  rule.  After  that  date  many 
thousands  of  Kosas  were  scattered  over  the  country 
as  far  west  as  Port  Elizabeth,  and  a  population  of 
European  blood  occupied  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  land  eastward  to  the  Kei.  This  change  in  the 
position  of  the  two  races  was  caused  by  an  event 
more  astounding  than  anything  in  the  pages  of  the 
wildest  romance. 

The  chiefs  had  accepted  the  terms  imposed  upon 
them  at  the  close  of  the  last  war,  but  resolved  to 
renew  the  struggle  with  the  white  people  as  soon 
as  circumstances  would  permit  it.  Shortly  after  the 
conclusion  of  peace,  Sir  George  Cathcart  was  suc- 
ceeded as  governor  and  high  commissioner  by  Sir 

277 


POLICY  OF  SIR  GEORGE  GREY. 


279 


George  Grey,  one  of  the  ablest  administrators  the 
country  has  ever  had,  and  he  immediately  took 
steps  to  prevent,  as  he  hoped,  another  outbreak  of 
hostilities. 

As  high  commissioner  he  exercised  supreme  con- 
trol in  British  Kaffraria.  Provided  with  a  large 
amount  of  money  from  the  imperial  treasury,  he 
attempted  to  pacify  the  chiefs  by  giving  them 
pensions,  payable  monthly,  as  compensation  for  the 
power  they  had  apparently  lost,  and  he  tried  to  break 
the  belief  in  witchcraft  by  building  a  large  and 
beautiful  hospital  in  King-Williamstown,  where  any 
sick  black  person  was  attended  by  skilful  medical 
men  and  provided  for  free  of  charge.  Further,  he 
commenced  to  make  roads  in  the  province,  and  to 
build  a  great  sea  wall  at  the  mouth  of  the  Buffalo 
river — called  the  port  of  East  London — with  the 
express  object  of  teaching  the  Kosas  the  advantage 
of  earning  money  by  labour.  In  the  same  spirit  he 
encouraged  the  Wesleyan  and  Free  Church  mission- 
ary societies  to  establish  industrial  institutions,  where 
young  Fingos  and  Kosas  could  be  trained  as  gardeners, 
carpenters,  blacksmiths,  and  waggon-makers,  and 
where  a  number  of  the  most  intelligent  boys  could 
be  educated  as  interpreters,  schoolmasters,  and  evan- 
gelists. One  of  the  institutions  which  he  thus  assisted 
with  funds  is  still  in  existence.  This  is  Lovedale, 
an  establishment  of  the  Free  Church,  where  an  ex- 
ceedingly good  training  has  ever  since  been  given, 
and  where  at  the  present  time  some  five  or  six 
hundred  youths  of  both  sexes  are  living  as  pupils. 

These  truly  philanthropic  measures,  however,  re- 


280     THE  PROVINCE  OF  BRITISH  KAFFRARIA. 

quired  many  years  to  produce  a  good  effect,  and  even 
then  a  very  small  proportion  of  the  people  would  be 
benefited  by  them.  They  had  not  well  been  taken  in 
hand  when  tidings  reached  the  high  commissioner 
in  Capetown  that  cattle  in  unusual  numbers  were 
being  slaughtered  in  and  beyond  British  Kaffraria, 
and  that  the  Kosas  were  assuming  a  defiant  attitude. 
Colonel  Maclean,  who  had  succeeded  Colonel  Mackin- 
non  as  head  of  the  local  government,  was  not  long 
in  finding  out  and  reporting  the  cause. 

One  morning  in  May  1856  a  girl  named  Nong- 
kause  went  to  draw  water  from  a  little  stream  that 
flowed  past  her  home.  On  her  return,  she  stated 
that  she  had  seen  by  the  river  some  men  who  differed 
greatly  in  appearance  from  those  she  was  accustomed 
to  meet.  Her  uncle,  whose  name  was  Umhlakaza, 
went  to  see  the  strangers,  and  found  them  at  the 
place  indicated.  They  told  him  to  return  home  and 
go  through  certain  ceremonies,  after  which  he  was  to 
offer  an  ox  in  sacrifice  to  the  spirits  of  the  dead,  and 
to  come  back  to  them  on  the  fourth  day.  There  was 
that  in  their  appearance  which  commanded  obedience, 
and  so  the  man  did  as  they  bade  him.  On  the  fourth 
day  he  went  to  the  river  again.  The  strange  people 
were  there  as  before,  and  to  his  astonishment  he 
recognised  among  them  his  brother  who  had  been 
many  years  dead.  Then,  for  the  first  time,  he  learned 
who  and  what  they  were.  The  eternal  enemies  of 
the  white  man,  they  announced  themselves  as  having 
come  from  battle-fields  beyond  the  sea  to  aid  the 
Kosas  with  their  invincible  power  in  driving  the 
English  from  the  land.    Between  them  and  the  chiefs 


SELF-DESTRUCTION  of  the  kosas. 


281 


Umhlakaza  was  to  be  the  medium  of  communication, 
the  channel  through  which  instruction  would  be  given. 
For  strange  things  were  to  be  done,  stranger  than 
any  that  had  ever  been  done  before,  if  the  proffered 
assistance  was  welcomed.  And  first,  he  must  tell  the 
people  to  abandon  dealing  in  witchcraft,  to  kill  fat 
cattle  and  eat. 

Such  is  the  tale  which  the  Kosas  told  each  other 
of  the  manner  in  which  Umhlakaza  and  Nongkause 
became  acquainted  with  the  secrets  of  the  spirit 
world.  Umhlakaza  and  Nongkause  !  What  terrible 
visions  of  suffering  and  death  are  called  forth  in 
Kaffirland  now  at  the  mention  of  those  two  names ! 

Kreli,  the  paramount  chief  of  the  tribe,  hailed  the 
message  with  joy,  and  indeed  it  is  generally  believed 
— though  it  cannot  be  proved  —  that  he  was  the 
instigator  of  the  scheme.  His  word  went  forth  that 
the  command  of  the  spirits  was  to  be  obeyed,  that 
the  best  of  all  the  cattle  were  to  be  killed  and  eaten. 
Messengers  from  him  hastened  to  the  chiefs  in  British 
Kaffraria  to  inform  them  of  what  had  taken  place, 
and  to  require  their  co-operation.  Instantly  the 
clans  were  in  a  state  of  commotion.  Most  of  the 
chiefs  commenced  to  kill,  but  one,  Sandile,  timid  and 
hesitating,  for  a  time  held  back.  The  high  com- 
missioner sent  word  to  Kreli  that  though  in  his  own 
territory  he  could  do  as  he  pleased,  he  must  cease 
from  instigating  those  who  were  British  subjects  to 
destroy  their  property,  or  it  would  become  necessary 
to  punish  him.  But  he  cared  little  for  such  a  threat, 
as  the  time  was  at  hand  when  it  would  be  for  him  to 
talk  of  punishing. 


282     THE  PROVINCE  OF  BRITISH  KAFFRARIA. 


The  revelations  communicated  through  Umhlakaza 
grew  apace.  The  girl,  standing  in  the  river  in  pre- 
sence of  a  multitude  of  deluded  people,  heard  strange 
unearthly  sounds  beneath  her  feet,  which  Umhlakaza 
pronounced  to  be  the  voices  of  spirits  holding  council 
over  the  affairs  of  men.  The  first  order  was  to  slay 
cattle,  but  the  greedy  ghosts  seemed  insatiable  in 
their  demands.  More  and  more  were  killed,  but  still 
never  enough.  And  thus  the  delusion  continued 
month  after  month,  every  day  spreading  wider  and 
embracing  fresh  victims  in  its  grasp.  After  a  while 
Sandile  gave  way  to  the  urgent  applications  of  his 
brother  Makoma,  who  asserted  that  he  had  himself 
seen  and  conversed  with  the  spirits  of  two  of  his 
father's  dead  councillors,  and  that  they  commanded 
Sandile  to  kill  his  cattle  if  he  would  not  perish  with 
the  white  man. 

Before  this  time  the  last  order  of  Umhlakaza  had 
been  given,  that  order  whose  fulfilment  was  to  be  the 
final  preparation  of  the  Kosas,  after  which  they  would 
be  worthy  of  the  aid  of  a  spirit  host.  Not  an  animal 
out  of  all  their  herds  must  be  left  living,  every  grain 
of  corn  in  their  granaries  must  be  destroyed.  But 
what  a  future  of  glory  and  wealth  was  predicted  for 
the  faithful  and  obedient !  On  a  certain  day  myriads 
of  cattle,  more  beautiful  than  those  they  were  called 
upon  to  kill,  were  to  issue  from  the  earth  and  cover 
the  pastures  far  and  wide.  Great  fields  of  millet,  ripe 
and  ready  for  eating,  were  in  an  instant  to  spring 
into  existence.  The  ancient  heroes  of  the  race,  the 
great  and  the  wise  of  days  gone  by,  restored  to  life 
on  that  happy  day,  would  appear  and  take  part  in 


SELF-DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  KOSAS. 


283 


the  joys  of  the  faithful.  Trouble  and  sickness  would 
be  known  no  more,  nor  would  the  frailties  of  old  age 
oppress  them,  for  youth  and  beauty  were  to  return 
alike  to  the  risen  dead  and  the  feeble  living.  Such 
was  the  picture  of  Paradise  painted  by  the  Kosa 
prophet,  and  held  before  the  eyes  of  the  infatuated 
people.  And  dreadful  was  to  be  the  fate  of  those 
who  opposed  the  will  of  the  spirits,  or  neglected  to 
obey  their  commands.  The  day  that  was  to  bring 
so  much  joy  to  the  loyal  would  bring  nothing  but 
destruction  for  them.  The  sky  itself  would  fall  and 
crush  them  together  with  the  Fingos  and  the  whites. 

Missionaries  and  agents  of  the  government  tried  in 
vain  to  stay  the  mad  proceedings.  A  delirious  frenzy 
possessed  the  minds  of  the  Kosas,  and  they  would 
listen  to  no  argument,  brook  no  opposition.  White 
men  who  attempted  to  interfere  with  them  in  any 
way  were  scowled  upon  and  warned  to  take  care  of 
themselves.  Yet  these  fanatics,  with  their  imagina- 
tions fixed  on  boundless  wealth,  were  eagerly  pur- 
chasing trifles  from  English  traders,  bartering  away 
the  hides  of  two  hundred  thousand  slaughtered  cattle. 
Most  of  them  acted  under  the  influence  of  supersti- 
tion alone,  though  there  is  no  doubt  that  some  of  the 
leaders  viewed  the  proceeding  as  calculated  solely  for 
purposes  of  war.  To  throw  the  whole  Kosa  tribe, 
fully  armed  and  in  a  famishing  state,  upon  the  colony, 
was  the  end  kept  steadily  in  view  by  these.  The 
terrible  odds  against  the  success  of  such  a  venture 
they  were  too  blind  to  see  or  too  excited  to  calculate. 

Some  there  were  who  neither  believed  the  predic- 
tions of  Umhlakaza  nor  looked  for  success  in  war, 


284     THE  PROVINCE  OF  BRITISH  KA FFRARIA. 


and  who  yet  destroyed  the  last  particle  of  their  food. 
Bukhu,  Kreli's  uncle,  was  one  of  these.  "  It  is  the 
chief's  command,"  said  he,  and  then,  when  nothing 
more  was  left,  the  old  man  and  his  favourite  wife  sat 
down  in  their  empty  kraal  and  died.  Kreli's  prin- 
cipal councillor  opposed  the  scheme  till  he  saw  that 
words  were  useless.  Then,  observing  that  all  he  had 
was  his  chief's,  he  gave  the  order  to  kill  and  waste, 
and  fled  from  the  place  a  raving  lunatic.  Thus  it 
was  with  thousands.  The  chief  commanded,  and 
they  obeyed. 

In  the  early  months  of  1857  an  unwonted  activity 
reigned  throughout  the  country  from  the  Keiskama 
to  the  Bashee.  Great  kraals  were  being  prepared  for 
the  reception  of  the  cattle,  so  soon  to  appear  like  stars 
of  the  sky  in  multitude.  Enormous  skin  bags  were 
being  made  to  contain  the  milk  shortly  to  be  like 
water  in  plenty.  And  even  as  they  worked  some 
were  starving.  East  of  the  Kei  the  prophet's  com- 
mand had  been  obeyed  to  the  letter,  but  the  resur- 
rection day  was  still  postponed.  It  was  in  mercy  to 
the  Gaikas,  said  Umhlakaza,  for  Sandile  had  not 
finished  killing  yet.  Nothing  surely  was  ever  more 
clumsily  arranged,  more  blindly  carried  out  than  this 
mad  act  of  the  Kosas.  One  section  of  the  tribe  was 
literally  starving,  while  another  section  was  still 
engaged  in  destroying  its  resources. 

The  government  did  all  that  was  possible  to 
protect  the  frontier.  Every  post  was  strengthened, 
and  every  available  soldier  was  sent  forward.  The 
colonists,  too,  were  prepared  to  meet  the  expected 
shock,  come  when  it  would.    And  then,  after  defence 


SELF-DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  KOSAS.  285 

was  provided  for,  stores  of  food  were  accumulated  for 
the  purpose  of  saving  life.  For  there  could  be  no 
heart  so  cold  as  not  to  feel  pity  for  those  misguided 
beings  who  were  rushing  so  frantically  into  certain 
destruction. 

At  length  the  morning  dawned  of  the  day  so  long 
and  so  ardently  looked  for.  All  night  long  the 
Kosas  had  watched  with  feelings  stretched  to  the 
utmost  tension  of  excitement,  expecting  to  see  two 
blood-red  suns  rise  over  the  eastern  hills,  when  the 
heavens  would  fall  and  crush  the  races  they  hated. 
Famished  with  hunger,  half-dying  as  they  were,  that 
night  was  yet  a  time  of  fierce,  delirious  joy.  The 
morn,  that  a  few  short  hours,  slowly  becoming 
minutes,  would  usher  in,  was  to  see  all  their  sorrows 
ended,  all  their  misery  past.  And  so  they  waited 
and  watched.  At  length  the  sun  approached  the 
horizon,  throwing  first  a  silver  sheen  upon  the 
mountain  peaks,  and  then  bathing  hillside  and 
valley  in  a  flood  of  light.  The  hearts  of  the 
watchers  sank  within  them.  "  What,"  said  they, 
"  will  become  of  us  if  Umhlakaza's  predictions  turn 
out  untrue  ? "  But  perhaps,  after  all,  it  might  be 
midday  that  was  meant,  and  when  the  shadows 
began  to  lengthen  towards  the  east,  perhaps,  they 
thought,  the  setting  of  the  sun  is  the  time.  The 
sun  went  down — as  it  often  does  in  that  fair  land — 
behind  clouds  of  crimson  and  gold,  and  the  Kosas 
awoke  to  the  reality  of  their  dreadful  position. 

A  blunder,  such  as  a  child  would  hardly  have 
made,  had  been  committed  by  the  managers  of  this 
horrible  tragedy.    Under  pretence  of  witnessing  the 


286     THE  PROVINCE  OF  BRITISH  KAFFRARIA. 

resurrection,  they  should  have  assembled  the  warriors 
of  the  whole  tribe  at  some  point  from  which  they 
could  have  burst  in  a  body  upon  the  colony.  This 
had  not  been  done,  and  now  it  was  too  late  to  collect 
them  together.  An  attempt  was  made  to  rectify  the 
blunder,  and  the  day  of  resurrection  was  again  post- 
poned, but  fierce  excitement  had  given  place  to 
deepest  despair.  The  only  chance  of  life  that  re- 
mained was  to  reach  the  colony,  but  it  was  as  sup- 
pliants, not  as  warriors,  that  the  famished  people 
must  now  go. 

The  horrors  that  succeeded  can  only  be  partly 
told.  There  are  intelligent  men  living  now,  then 
wild  naked  fugitives,  who  cannot  recount  the  events 
of  those  days.  The  whole  scene  comes  home  to 
them  as  a  hideous  nightmare,  or  as  the  remem- 
brances of  one  in  a  state  of  delirium.  In  many 
instances  all  the  ties  were  broken  that  bind  human 
beings  to  each  other  in  every  condition  of  society. 
Brother  fought  with  brother,  father  with  son,  for 
scraps  and  shreds  of  those  great  milk  sacks  so  care- 
fully made  in  the  days  when  hope  was  high.  The 
aged,  the  sick,  the  feeble,  were  abandoned  by  the 
young  and  vigorous.  All  kinds  of  wild  plants, 
and  even  the  roots  of  trees,  were  collected  for  food. 
Many  of  those  who  were  near  the  sea  coast  endea- 
voured to  support  life  upon  the  shellfish  found  there. 
Being  unaccustomed  to  such  diet,  they  were  attacked 
by  dysentery,  which  completed  the  work  of  famine. 
In  other  instances  whole  families  sat  down  and  died 
together.  From  fifteen  to  twenty  skeletons  were 
afterwards  often  found  under  a  single  tree,  showing 


SELF-DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  KOSAS.  287 


where  parents  and  children  met  their  fate  when  the 
last  ray  of  hope  had  fled.  A  continuous  stream  of 
emaciated  beings  poured  into  the  colony,  young 
men  and  women  mostly,  but  sometimes  fathers  and 
mothers  bearing  on  their  backs  half-dying  children. 
Before  the  farmhouses  they  would  sit  down,  and  ask 
in  the  most  piteous  tones  for  food,  nor  did  they  ask 
in  vain. 

Between  the  first  and  last  days  of  1857  the  official 
returns  of  British  Kaffraria  showed  a  decrease  in  the 
population  from  one  hundred  and  five  thousand  to 
thirty-eight  thousand  of  both  sexes  and  all  ages. 
Sixty-seven  thousand  had  perished  or  dispersed.  In 
the  centre  of  this  territory  was  King-Williamstown 
where  the  government  had  provided  a  quantity  of 
corn,  by  which  the  lives  of  thousands  were  saved. 
Between  the  Kei  and  the  Bashee  there  was  no  such 
storehouse,  and  flight,  except  to  rival  and  unfriendly 
tribes,  was  next  to  impossible.  The  death-rate  there 
was  consequently  higher  than  in  British  Kaffraria. 
The  lowest  computation  fixes  the  number  of  those 
who  perished  on  both  sides  of  the  Kei  at  twenty- 
five  thousand,  ordinary  calculations  give  double  that 
number.  The  power  of  the  Kosa  tribe  was  for  the 
time  completely  broken. 

Large  tracts  of  land  in  British  Kaffraria  having 
become  waste  by  this  mad  act  of  the  Kosas,  Sir 
George  Grey  allotted  farms  of  about  fifteen  hundred 
acres  in  size  to  a  considerable  number  of  selected 
individuals  from  the  Cape  Colony,  to  be  held  under 
tenure  of  military  service  and  a  small  quitrent.  A 
strong  body  of  European  settlers  was  thus  stationed 


288     THE  PROVINCE  OF  BRITISH  KAFFRARIA. 

in  advance  of  the  most  formidable  Kaffir  strongholds. 
Some  regiments  of  the  German  legion,  raised  by 
Great  Britain  during  the  Crimean  war,  were  sent 
out,  and  were  disbanded  in  the  province,  where  plots 
of  land  were  assigned  to  the  officers  and  soldiers 
on  a  military  village  system.  Many  of  these  men 
prospered,  and  they  were  undoubtedly  of  great 
service  to  the  country,  but  on  the  whole  the  villages 
were  failures.  The  proportion  of  women  was  too 
small  to  give  reasonable  hope  of  permanency  to  the 
settlements,  and  the  men  were  better  adapted  for  life 
in  towns  than  as  tillers  of  the  soil.  Most  of  them 
dispersed  as  soon  as  the  issue  of  rations  ceased. 

A  body  of  agricultural  labourers  selected  from  the 
hardy  peasantry  of  Northern  Germany  was  intro- 
duced shortly  afterwards.  The  men  were  accom- 
panied by  their  wives  and  children,  and  were  inured 
to  toil  and  accustomed  to  rough  living.  In  1858  and 
1859  these  people,  in  number  rather  over  two  thou- 
sand, landed  at  East  London.  They  were  sent  out 
under  a  contract  between  Sir  George  Grey  and  a 
merchant  in  Hamburg,  and  were  bound  to  refund 
within  a  certain  period  the  cost  of  their  transport 
and  to  pay  twenty  shillings  an  acre  for  the  ground 
allotted  to  them.  They  were  located  in  different 
parts  of  the  province,  but  chiefly  in  the  valley  of  the 
Buffalo  river.  No  better  settlers  could  have  been 
introduced.  By  their  industry,  in  the  course  of  a 
few  years  they  became  possessed  of  a  considerable 
amount  of  stock  and  brought  their  little  farms  to  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  As  market  gardeners  they 
were  unrivalled  in  South  Africa.    Frugal,  temperate, 


ANNEXATION  TO  THE  CAPE  COLONY.  289 


industrious,  and  religious,  they  contributed  very 
largely  to  the  prosperity  of  the  province. 

King-Williamstown  soon  grew  to  be  a  place  of  no 
little  importance.  It  was  garrisoned  by  a  strong 
body  of  British  troops,  and  was  the  centre  of  a  large 
trade,  besides  being  the  seat  of  the  local  government. 

In  theory  the  Cape  parliament  had  no  power  to 
legislate  for  British  Kaffraria,  but  in  practice  as  soon 
as  an  act  was  passed  in  Capetown  the  high  com- 
missioner proclaimed  it  of  force  in  the  province,  and 
thus  secured  uniformity  in  the  laws.  The  revenue 
was  small,  and  required  to  be  supplemented  by 
grants  in  aid  from  the  imperial  treasury.  But  now 
that  the  territory  had  ceased  to  be  occupied  exclu- 
sively by  Bantu,  it  seemed  to  the  queen's  ministers 
that  it  might  with  advantage  be  incorporated  with 
the  Cape  Colony,  and  this  burden  be  removed  from 
the  British  taxpayer.  Proposals  to  that  effect  were 
therefore  brought  before  the  Cape  parliament  on 
several  occasions,  but  were  always  rejected.  At 
length  the  imperial  parliament  passed  an  act  of 
union,  which  was,  however,  only  to  take  effect  after 
the  lapse  of  a  certain  period,  and  provided  the  Cape 
parliament  did  not  in  the  meantime  annex  the 
province.  Armed  with  this  document,  Sir  Philip 
Wodehouse,  Sir  George  Grey's  successor  as  governor 
and  high  commissioner,  introduced  a  bill  which 
provided  for  the  incorporation  of  British  Kaffraria 
as  two  electoral  divisions — King-Williamstown  and 
East  London — and  after  much  opposition  it  was 
passed  by  a  majority  of  both  houses  of  the  Cape 
legislature,  and  in  1865  was  carried  into  effect. 

20 


XXIV. 


THE  COLONY   OF    NATAL   AND    THE  DEPENDENCY 
OF  ZULULAND. 

Natal  became  a  British  possession  at  a  very- 
unfortunate  time  for  the  good  of  the  country.  Senti- 
ment in  England  was  then  running  so  strong  in 
favour  of  black  people,  that  this  beautiful  and  fertile 
country,  which  might  have  been  made  the  home  of 
many  thousands  of  industrious  European  families, 
was  given  away  to  any  Bantu  who  chose  to  enter  it. 

There  are,  of  course,  different  ways  of  looking  at 
this  matter.  The  Bantu  themselves,  who  regard 
their  mode  of  life  as  vastly  preferable  to  ours, 
inasmuch  as  it  is  comparatively  free  of  care  and  toil, 
certainly  think  their  possession  of  Natal  proper  and 
desirable.  The  missionary  looking  for  raw  material 
to  work  with  is  naturally  of  the  same  opinion.  But 
the  man  who  believes  that  the  strengthening  of  the 
European  element  would  be  a  blessing  to  Africa  itself, 
who  is  convinced  that  the  native  tribes  of  the 
continent  can  never  become  civilised  except  under 
European  government  and  under  the  guidance  and 
control  of  a  strong  body  of  European  settlers,  must 


INFLUX  OF  BANTU. 


291 


look  upon  the  alienation  of  the  soil  of  Natal  to  the 
Bantu  as  a  very  great  mistake. 

As  soon  as  Great  Britain  was  dominant  there,  all 
who  were  in  fear  of  Panda  made  their  way  into  the 
country,  where  they  were  sure  of  being  protected  and 
of  being  allowed  to  live  as  they  chose.  Their  birth- 
place and  that  of  their  fathers  might  be  far  away,  but 
they  were  all  termed  natives  by  the  government, 
and  as  soon  as  arrangements  could  be  made  tracts  of 
land  were  assigned  to  them  to  live  upon.  Mission- 
aries settled  among  them,  and  in  course  of  time  a 
few  became  converts  to  Christianity  and  made  some 
advance  towards  civilisation.  But  the  great  majority 
remain  what  their  forefathers  were,  for  it  cannot  be  said 
that  their  use  of  a  few  articles  of  European  manufac- 
ture is  an  indication  of  any  real  change. 

There  are  no  people  in  the  world  more  prolific 
than  the  Bantu  of  South  Africa,  and  though  their 
death  rate  in  towns  partly  occupied  by  Europeans  is 
high,  in  their  own  kraals  where  they  live  after  the 
custom  of  their  ancestors  it  is  low.  The  consequence 
is  an  amazingly  rapid  increase  of  population,  wher- 
ever the  old  checks  of  war  and  punishment  for 
dealing  in  witchcraft  are  removed.  At  the  present 
day  there  are  no  fewer  than  half  a  million  of  these 
people  within  the  borders  of  Natal.  They  are  per- 
mitted to  live  according  to  their  own  laws  and 
customs,  but  they  pay  a  small  hut-tax,  and  the 
government  exercises  general  control  over  them. 

Owing  to  their  presence  in  such  numbers  the 
country  has  failed  to  attract  European  settlers,  and 
only  one  large  body  of  white  immigrants  has  ever 


NATAL  AND  ZULU  LAND. 


entered  it  since  the  British  conquest.  Between  1848 
and  185 1  some  four  or  five  thousand  English  people 
arrived,  to  whom  small  plots  of  ground  were  given  ; 
but  many  of  them  afterwards  removed  to  Australia, 
and  few  remained  as  cultivators  of  the  soil.  White 
people  from  abroad  settle  in  the  country  every 
year,  but  never  in  large  numbers.  At  the  present 
day  they  are  not  more  than  forty-three  thousand  all 
told,  that  is,  for  every  twelve  African  blacks  there  is 
only  one  white  person. 

Although  the  disparity  in  number  is  so  great,  the 
Bantu  have  not  often  disturbed  the  peace  of  the 
country,  and  only  on  two  or  three  occasions  has  it 
been  necessary  to  use  military  force  against  defiant 
chiefs.  They  have  as  yet  ample  space  for  living 
comfortably  in  their  own  way,  and  taxation  is  so 
light  that  they  do  not  feel  it  as  a  burden.  But  this 
condition  of  things  cannot  be  permanent,  for  they  are 
multiplying  so  rapidly  that  there  must  some  day  be 
a  struggle  for  more  room.  What  form  it  may  take 
cannot,  of  course,  be  foreseen. 

Only  once  since  the  British  occupation  of  the 
country  has  there  been  a  serious  disturbance  within 
its  borders.  In  1848  a  section  of  the  Hlubi  tribe  fled 
from  Zululand,  and  had  a  location  assigned  to  it  at 
the  sources  of  the  Bushman's  river,  under  the 
Drakensberg.  The  Hlubi  had  once  been  the  largest 
tribe  in  South-Eastern  Africa,  but  in  Tshaka's  wars 
most  of  its  members  were  killed,  and  those  who  sur- 
vived were  dispersed  far  and  wide.  "  There  was  a 
white  mark  from  the  Tugela  to  Thaba  Ntshu,  and 
that  mark  was  our  bones,"  said  once  an  old  Hlubi  to 


THE  HLUBI  TRIBE. 


293 


the  writer  of  this  volume,  in  recounting  his  personal 
adventures.  He  might  have  added  that  there  was 
a  similar  line  from  the  Tugela  to  the  Kei.  Along 
both  these  routes  a  few  fugitives  were  scattered,  and 
these  have  multiplied  so  greatly  that  if  their  des- 
cendants could  all  be  collected  together  to-day  the 
Hlubi  would  again  stand  out  as  the  largest  tribe  of 
the  country. 

The  great  chiefs  had  perished  in  Tshaka's  wars, 
and  the  one  of  highest  rank  that  was  left  was 
Langalibalele — in  English  "The  Sun  is  burning" — 
the  head  of  the  clan  that  sought  refuge  in  Natal.  A 
stranger  visiting  his  location  in  1873  would  have 
regarded  him  as  a  man  of  little  importance,  with  a 
following  of  not  more  than  ten  thousand  souls,  all 
told ;  but  those  acquainted  with  his  history  knew 
that  he  was  held  in  strong  attachment  by  clans  as  far 
away  as  the  Caledon  in  one  direction  and  the  Fish 
river  in  another. 

There  was  a  law  in  Natal,  required  for  public 
safety,  that  no  Bantu  should  have  guns  in  their 
possession  without  being  registered.  In  other  parts 
of  South  Africa  guns  were  obtainable,  and  Langa- 
libalele, setting  the  law  at  defiance,  sent  his  young 
men  away  to  earn  money  and  purchase  these  weapons, 
which  were  brought  by  hundreds  into  his  location 
without  the  necessary  formalities  being  observed. 
When  this  became  known,  the  chief  was  called  upon 
to  account  for  his  guns,  but  he  declined  to  do  so. 
Message  after  message  was  sent,  requiring  him  to 
appear  at  Maritzburg,  but  he  made  excuses,  and 
never  went.     It  was  subsequently  proved  that  he 


294 


XATAL  AND  ZULULAXD. 


was  in  treasonable  correspondence  with  other  chiefs, 
and  he  must  have  felt  himself  strong  enough  to  main- 
tain his  independence  against  the  Europeans. 

Peaceable  means  having  failed  to  secure  his 
obedience,  an  armed  part}'  was  sent  to  enforce  the 
demands  of  the  government.  Upon  its  approach 
Langalibalele  abandoned  his  women  and  children, 
and  with  his  cattle  and  most  of  his  warriors  fell  back 
upon  the  mountains.  In  the  Bushman's  pass  Major 
Durnford  and  a  small  party  of  volunteers  overtook 
the  rearguard  of  the  rebels.  The  chief  was  in 
advance,  and  as  the  volunteers  had  orders  not  to 
fire  first,  they  attempted  to  communicate  with  him. 
The  induna  in  command  pretended  to  send  for  the 
chief,  and  while  waiting  for  him  to  arrive,  the 
volunteers  were  being  surrounded.  At  the  same  time 
threatening  gestures  and  language,  coupled  with 
taunts,  were  used  towards  them.  They  fell  back  in 
a  panic,  when  too  late,  and  as  the)-  did  so  five  of 
them  were  shot  down. 

The  colonists  at  once  awoke  to  a  sense  of  their 
danger.  They  did  not  know  how  far  the  inclination 
to  rebel  extended,  but  of  one  thing  they  were  certain  : 
that  nothing  but  the  prompt  punishment  of  the 
Hlubis  would  prevent  all  who  were  disaffected  from 
rising  in  arms.  Volunteers  at  once  came  forward. 
Everywhere  in  South  Africa  the  Europeans  were 
ready  to  help.  The  government  of  the  Cape  Colony 
took  immediate  measures  to  render  effectual  assis- 
tance, and  the  two  republics  expressed  a  willingness 
to  give  aid  if  needed.  It  was  recognised  that  not 
only  the  peace  of  Natal,  but  of  the  entire  country,  was 


REBELLION  OF  LANGALIBALELE.  295 


imperilled,  for  if  time  was  given  for  all  the  sections 
of  the  Hlubi  tribe  to  unite  with  the  clan  in  rebellion 
a  general  war  of  races  might  ensue. 

Langalibalele  and  his  warriors  crossed  the  Dra- 
kensberg  to  Basutoland,  in  expectation  of  being 
joined  there  by  one  of  Moshesh's  sons  ;  but  such 
prompt  measures  were  taken  by  the  governments  of 
the  Cape  Colony  and  Natal  that  the  rebels  were  sur- 
rounded before  they  reached  their  destination,  and 
the  chief,  with  some  of  his  principal  men,  who  were 
in  advance,  were  obliged  to  surrender  to  the  Cape 
frontier  armed  and  mounted  police.  The  main  body 
made  an  attempt  to  resist,  but  were  dispersed  after  a 
sharp  action,  and  all  the  cattle  were  captured. 

During  this  time  the  excitement  of  the  Natal 
colonists  was  naturally  very  high,  and  what,  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  would  be  regarded  as  undue 
severity  was  exercised  towards  the  people  Langali- 
balele had  left  behind,  as  well  as  to  another  clan  that 
sympathised  with  him.  But  as  soon  as  the  danger 
was  over,  violent  measures  of  every  kind  ceased. 

Langalibalele  was  tried  by  a  special  court,  which 
sentenced  him  to  banishment  for  life  ;  and  as  Natal 
had  no  outlying  dependency  to  send  him  to,  an  act 
was  passed  by  the  Cape  parliament  authorising  his 
detention  on  Robben  Island.  His  clan  was  broken 
up,  and  the  ground  it  had  occupied  was  resumed  by 
the  government. 

This  event  attracted  a  great  deal  of  attention  in 
England,  chiefly  through  the  action  of  the  Aborigines 
Protection  Society  and  of  Bishop  Colenso,  who  repre- 
sented the  conduct  of  the  white  people  and  of  the 


296 


NATAL  AND  ZULULAND. 


government  as  in  the  highest  degree  cruel  and  unjust 
towards  the  Hlubis.  The  Natal  clergy,  some  sixty 
ministers  and  missionaries  of  different  denominations, 
did  their  utmost  to  show  that  it  was  not  so  ;  but  their 
opinions  were  in  general  unheeded,  as  were  also  the 
statements  of  the  South  African  press.  The  imperial 
ministry  reflected  the  sentiments  of  the  people.  Sir 
Benjamin  Pine,  the  governor  of  Natal,  was  recalled. 
Compensation  was  ordered  to  be  given  from  the 
colonial  treasury  to  the  clan  that  had  suffered  loss 
owing  to  its  sympathy  with  the  rebels  ;  various 
Hlubis  who  had  been  condemned  to  terms  of  im- 
prisonment had  their  sentences  commuted  ;  and  it 
was  required  that  Langalibalele  should  be  removed 
from  Robben  Island  to  a  farm  on  the  mainland, 
where  he  could  have  the  society  of  his  wives  and  be 
treated  as  a  prisoner  of  state.  These  orders  were  of 
course  promptly  carried  out.  Langalibalele  remained 
an  exile  for  twelve  years,  during  which  time  he  was 
provided  with  every  possible  comfort.  He  was  then 
permitted  to  return  to  Natal,  and  died  there  shortly 
afterwards. 

The  belt  of  land  along  the  coast  north  of  the 
Umzimkulu  has  a  tropical  vegetation,  though  it  is 
perfectly  healthy  for  Europeans.  It  seemed  therefore 
to  present  a  favourable  field  for  the  production  of 
coffee,  sugar,  ginger,  arrowroot,  cotton,  and  tea,  and 
no  long  time  elapsed  before  experiments  began  to 
be  made.  Not  a  plant  among  them  all  but  throve 
wonderfully  well,  so  that  it  was  hoped  and  expected 
that  Natal  would  shortly  become  one  of  the  most 
valuable  dependencies  of  Great  Britain.    Here  was  a 


IMPORTATION  OF  INDIANS. 


favourable  soil  and  a  favourable  climate,  and  here, 
thought  people  at  a  distance,  in  the  teeming  Bantu 
locations  was  a  great  reservoir  of  labour  that  could  be 
utilised  for  the  good  of  both  employers  and  employed. 
But  the  Bantu  declined  to  be  utilised  in  this  way. 
Some  of  them  were  willing  to  work  for  a  while  when 
the  whim  seized  them  and  they  had  a  particular 
object  in  view,  but  they  could  never  be  depended 
upon,  and  were  prone  to  leave  service  just  when  they 
were  most  needed. 

The  planters  then  turned  to  India  for  a  supply 
of  labour.  Coolies  were  engaged  there,  and  were 
brought  over  under  contracts  for  a  term  of  years. 
By  their  assistance  the  soil  was  made  to  bring 
forth  tropical  products  in  considerable  quantities, 
but  eventually  some  were  destroyed  by  diseases  and 
others  were  found  not  to  pay.  Sugar  has  succeeded 
best.  After  providing  for  home  consumption,  in  1892 
sugar  was  exported  to  the  value  of  ;£  11 9,461,  tea  to 
the  value  of  £2,374,  coffee  to  the  value  of  £444,  and 
arrowroot  to  the  value  of  £228. 

It  was  supposed  that  the  coolies  would  return  to 
India  when  their  contracts  expired,  as  they  were 
entitled  to  free  passages  back  ;  but  they  had  found 
a  goodly  land,  and  many  of  them  had  no  mind  to 
leave  it.  Some  of  their  countrymen  of  the  trading 
class  were  next  attracted  by  the  accounts  spread  by 
those  who  returned,  and  soon  quite  a  little  stream  of 
Indian  immigrants  set  in.  As  they  can  live  upon 
the  merest  trifle,  European  competitors  were  rapidly 
driven  out,  and  retail  dealing,  with  all  kinds  of  light 
labour,  fell  into  their  hands.    They  contribute  nothing 


MODE  OF  LIFE  OF  EUROPEANS. 


299 


towards  the  military  strength  of  the  country  and  very 
little  towards  its  revenue.  They  are  now  equal  in 
number  to  the  white  people,  so  that  Natal  cannot  be 
regarded  as  an  English  colony  in  the  same  sense  as 
Canada  or  Australia.  It  is  more  like  a  miniature 
India,  a  country  occupied  chiefly  by  alien  races,  but 
with  a  government  and  upper  caste  of  Europeans. 

The  circumstances  under  which  they  lived  deter- 
mined the  mode  of  life  of  the  white  people  of  Natal. 
They  became  for  the  most  part  traders  and  forwarders 
of  goods  to  the  interior  republics.  There  are  planters 
and  farmers  among  them,  but  more  than  half  of  the 
whole  number  reside  in  the  two  towns,  Maritzburg 
and  Durban,  and  a  large  proportion  of  the  remainder 
occupy  villages  along  the  trade  routes.  Their  spirit 
and  sentiments  arc  largely  affected  by  this  circum- 
stance. It  has  been  observed  as  something  strange 
that  an  Englishman  long  resident  on  a  farm  in  the 
Cape  Colony  feels  himself  perfectly  at  home  if  he 
visits  the  Orange  Free  State,  yet  is  like  an  alien  in 
Natal.  But  the  cause  is  easily  explained  :  in  the  one 
case  he  is  among  people  of  familiar  instincts,  in  the 
other  he  is  not. 

Maritzburg  and  Durban  have  thriven  greatly  of 
late  years.  Durban  is  the  gateway  through  which 
passes  the  commerce  not  only  of  the  colony  itself 
and  of  Zululand,  but  of  part  of  the  Orange  Free  State 
and  the  South  African  Republic.  Extensive  works 
have  been  constructed  to  improve  the  entrance  to 
the  inner  harbour,  and  large  ships  can  now  cross 
the  bar  and  lie  beside  a  wharf  as  safely  as  in  a  dock. 
Numerous  handsome  buildings,  chief  among  w  hich 


300 


NATAL  AND  ZULULAND. 


is, the  grandest  municipal  hall  in  South  Africa,  em- 
bellish this  town. 

From  Durban  a  railway  has  been  constructed  to 
Charlestown,  on  the  border  of  the  South  African 
Republic.  It  passes  through  Maritzburg,  and  also 
through  the  villages  of  Estcourt,  Ladysmith,  and 
Newcastle  farther  inland.  From  Ladysmith  a 
branch  line  runs  by  way  of  Van  Reenen's  pass  in 
the  Drakensberg  to  Harrismith  in  the  Orange  Free 
State,  and  taps  the  trade  of  the  eastern  part  of  the 
republic.  It  goes  up  the  Drakensberg  in  a  series 
of  zigzag  sections,  but  in  places  the  gradients  are 
very  heavy,  as  they  are  likewise  on  the  Charlestown 
line.  It  is  in  contemplation  to  continue  the  rail- 
way from  Harrismith  until  it  meets  the  great  north- 
eastern line  through  the  Cape  Colony  and  the  Orange 
Free  State,  which  will  give  unbroken  communication 
between  Capetown  and  Durban.  The  Charlestown 
line  will  probably  be  continued  at  no  distant  date  to 
the  gold  fields  in  the  South  African  Republic.  Close 
to  the  coast  there  is  a  branch  line  northward  to  the 
village  of  Verulam,  and  one  southward  to  Isipingo. 
These  lines  are  in  all  399  miles  in  length. 

The  main  branch  of  this  system  of  railways  has 
the  great  advantage  of  passing  through  an  extensive 
field  of  coal  of  fair  quality,  from  which  fuel  can  be 
obtained  at  a  cheap  rate.  It  is  on  the  plateau  at 
the  foot  of  the  Drakensberg,  so  that  it  is  centrally 
situated,  and  the  coal,  which  is  easily  worked,  is  con- 
veyed to  the  coast  along  a  descending  gradient.  It 
is  not  the  least  important  of  the  natural  riches  of 
Natal.    Besides  furnishing  fuel  for  the  railways  and 


CONSTITUTION  OF  NATAL. 


301 


the  towns,  in  1892  nearly  sixty  thousand  pounds' 
worth  was  exported. 

The  legislature  of  the  colony  has  undergone  many 
changes.  For  some  years  there  was  a  council  entirely 
of  nominees,  but  in  1856  a  charter  was  granted  by 
the  queen,  when  it  became  chiefly  elective.  From 
that  date  until  1893  the  proportion  of  elective  to 
nominee  members  was  frequently  altered,  and  then 
responsible  government  was  introduced.  There  are 
now  two  chambers  :  a  legislative  council  of  eleven 
nominee  members,  holding  their  seats  for  ten  years, 
and  a  legislative  assembly  of  thirty-seven  elected 
members,  holding  their  seats  for  four  years. 

The  franchise  differs  in  principle  from  that  of  the 
Cape  Colony,  or  representative  government  of  any 
kind  would  be  an  impossibility.  Male  British  sub- 
jects, not  being  Bantu,  who  own  land  worth  £50,  or 
who  pay  ^ioa  year  for  rent,  or  who  have  lived  three 
years  in  the  country  and  are  in  receipt  of  salaries  of 
,£96  a  year,  are  entitled  to  vote.  Bantu  are  excluded, 
except  those  who  possess  the  above  qualifications,  and 
in  addition  have  been  by  their  own  desire  for  seven 
years  exempted  from  tribal  and  subject  to  colonial 
law.  This  provision  secures  equal  rights  with  Euro- 
peans for  the  few  who  have  embraced  Christianity 
and  live  in  a  civilised  manner,  while  it  withholds 
from  the  great  barbarous  mass  a  privilege  of  which 
they  are  incapable  of  making  proper  use. 

The  public  debt  of  Natal  is  rather  over  seven 
million  pounds  sterling,  apparently  a  very  large  sum 
for  a  colony  of  only  forty-three  thousand  Europeans 
to  owe,  as  it  means  an  indebtedness  of  ^163  for  each 


302 


NATAL  AND  ZULU  LAND. 


individual.  But  the  Indians  should  count  for  some- 
thing in  apportioning  the  public  debt,  though  it  would 
be  difficult  to  say  in  what  ratio  they  should  be  classi- 
fied with  Europeans.  The  great  mass  of  Bantu,  if 
reckoned  at  all,  must  appear  on  the  other  side  of  the 
ledger.  The  railways  are  public  property,  and  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  debt  was  incurred  for  the 
purpose  of  constructing  them. 

The  history  of  Zululand  is  so  closely  connected 
with  that  of  Natal  that  it  can  conveniently  be  in- 
cluded in  the  same  chapter.  Panda,  who  became 
independent  of  foreign  control  in  1843,  was  much 
less  intelligent  than  either  of  his  predecessors,  Tshaka 
or  Dingan.  Soon  after  his  accession  to  power  he 
grew  so  stout  as  to  be  unwieldy,  and  never  after- 
wards displayed  activity  of  any  kind,  bodily  or 
mental.  Two  of  his  sons,  however,  Umbulazi  and 
Cetywayo  by  name,  grew  up  to  be  men  of  superior 
ability.  Though  the  discipline  of  the  army  was 
greatly  relaxed,  the  military  system  introduced  by 
Tshaka  was  still  kept  up,  and  the  regiments  were 
divided  in  their  attachment  to  the  young  chiefs. 
"  Two  young  bulls  cannot  live  together  in  the  same 
kraal,"  said  Panda  ;  "  one  must  drive  the  other  out 
or  be  gored."  The  brothers  were  of  the  same  opinion. 
In  December  1856  a  battle  was  fought  between 
their  adherents  on  the  northern  bank  of  the  Tugela, 
which  resulted  in  complete  victory  for  Cetywayo. 
His  brother  must  have  been  killed,  though  the  body 
was  not  found,  for  he  was  never  seen  again.  Then 
a  dreadful  massacre  of  the  defeated  chiefs  adherents 
took  place,  when  not  only  the  men,  but  the  women 


CETYWAYO. 


303 


and  children  related  to  them,  were  put  to  death. 
About  one-fourth  of  the  Zulus  perished. 

From  that  day  Cetywayo  was  the  real  ruler  of  the 
tribe,  though  his  father  lived  until  1872.  The  young 
chief  was  a  man  of  prepossessing  appearance,  digni- 
fied in  manner,  and  gifted  with  mental  power  in  a 
high  degree.  But  he  was  as  pitiless  as  a  piece  of 
steel,  and  human  life  under  his  government  was 
sacrificed  with  as  little  compunction  as  the  life  of 
oxen  and  cows.  Much  as  one  could  wish  it  other- 
wise, observation  shows  that  this  is  the  kind  of  rule 
which  brings  out  what  is  best  in  the  Bantu  character 
as  well  as  what  is  worst,  and  under  Cetywayo  the 
Zulus  were  recognised  by  every  one  as  the  most 
intelligent,  the  most  active,  and  the  most  fearless 
of  all  the  blacks  in  South  Africa.  They  were  the 
most  handsome  too,  for  constant  exercise  in  arms 
and  in  military  drill  greatly  improved  their  appear- 
ance. Discipline  had  become  relaxed  during  the 
fifteen  years  following  Panda's  accession,  but  by 
Cetywayo  it  was  restored  to  the  same  condition  as 
under  Tshaka. 

As  time  went  on  the  Zulus  became  more  and  more 
a  menace  to  their  neighbours.  Hemmed  in  between 
the  South  African  Republic,  Natal,  and  the  sea,  if 
they  used  their  arms  at  all,  it  could  only  be  against 
a  civilised  power. 

In  1877  Sir  Bartle  Frere  became  governor  of  the 
Cape  Colony  and  high  commissioner  for  South  Africa. 
No  man  had  a  kinder  heart  or  a  more  earnest  desire 
to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  people  of  the  country, 
white  and  black,  the  Zulus  as  well  as  British  subjects. 


304 


NATAL  AND  ZULULAND. 


But  war  with  Cetywayo  had  become  a  necessity,  and 
he  could  not  avoid  it  without  betraying  his  trust.  It 
was  his  duty  to  protect  the  queen's  subjects,  and 
there  was  no  question  that  many  of  them  were  in 
imminent  peril,  and  must  so  remain  until  the  Zulu 
military  system  came  to  an  end.  Unfortunately  he  did 
not  know  how  strong  the  Zulu  army  really  was,  and 
none  of  those  upon  whom  he  depended  for  informa- 
tion were  able  to  tell  him.  Cetywayo  gave  him  more 
than  one  provocation.  A  powerful  Zulu  force  paraded 
along  the  British  border,  and  the  chief  spoke  of  it  as 
a  mere  hunting  party.  English  officials  who  were 
sent  into  Zululand  as  envoys  were  treated  by  the 
indunas  in  a  contemptuous  manner.  Zulu  subjects 
crossed  the  boundary,  seized  two  women  on  Natal 
soil  and  carried  them  away  to  death,  and  Cetywayo, 
when  called  upon  for  redress,  treated  the  matter  as  of 
trifling  importance.  In  several  serious  disturbances 
by  Bantu  tribes  in  distant  parts  of  South  Africa  the 
agency  of  the  Zulu  chief  was  clearly  traced,  and  in 
many  other  respects  he  showed  himself  an  enemy  to 
the  civilised  governments  of  the  country. 

In  December  1878  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  having  col- 
lected a  military  force  in  Natal  which  every  one 
believed  to  be  strong  enough  for  the  purpose,  sent  an 
ultimatum  to  Cetywayo,  in  which  he  demanded  re- 
dress for  the  injuries  sustained,  and  called  upon  the 
chief  to  disband  his  army.  As  no  notice  was  taken 
of  the  message,  on  the  10th  of  January,  1879,  an 
English  army  entered  Zululand  in  three  divisions, 
consisting  partly  of  British  soldiers,  partly  of  colonists, 
and  partly  of  blacks. 


ISANDLWANA. 


305 


Ten  days  after  crossing  the  Buffalo  the  centra! 
column  formed  a  camp  at  the  foot  of  the  hill 
Isandlwana — that  is  The  Little  Hand — within  sight 
of  the  Natal  border.  The  country  was  so  rough  that 
it  needed  all  that  time  to  construct  a  road  along  which 
provisions  could  be  conveyed.  On  the  following 
morning  part  of  the  column,  with  Lord  Chelmsford, 
the  commander-in-chief,  left  the  camp  and  moved 
away  to  attack  a  kraal  several  miles  distant.  Some 
Dutch  farmers  had  advised  the  English  officers  to 
take  precautions  against  surprise,  and  had  told  them 
of  the  encounters  with  Dingan,  but  their  warnings 
were  disregarded.  Nothing  was  done  for  protection 
at  Isandlwana,  though  there  were  waggons  enough  to 
form  a  lager.  Not  a  trench  was  dug  nor  a  spadeful 
of  earth  thrown  up  in  a  bank.  No  one  there  even 
dreamed  of  danger  until  a  little  before  noon  on  the 
22nd  of  January  1879,  when  the  horns  of  a  Zulu  army 
about  twenty  thousand  strong  were  closing  around  the 
camp. 

The  fight  for  life  was  stubborn,  but  the  odds  on  the 
enemy's  side  were  too  great,  and  all  was  soon  over. 
A  few,  principally  mounted  irregulars,  managed  to 
make  their  way  out  of  the  circle  of  Zulu  spears  before 
it  was  quite  closed,  but  the  ground  was  full  of  boulders 
and  dry  beds  of  occasional  torrents,  so  that  many  of 
these  even  were  overtaken  and  killed.  With  them 
were  Lieutenants  Melvill  and  Coghill,  who  were 
trying  to  save  the  colours  of  the  first  battalion  of 
the  24th  regiment,  and  who  reached  the  Natal  bank 
of  the  Buffalo  before  they  were  struck  down.  The 
colours  were  found  in  the  river  some  days  afterwards. 

21 


306 


NATAL  AND  ZULU  LAND. 


At  Isandlwana  nearly  seven  hundred  British  soldiers 
and  over  one  hundred  and  thirty  colonists  perished, 
for  the  Zulus  gave  no  quarter.  The  victors  lost  about 
three  thousand  men. 

Information  of  the  terrible  disaster  reached  Lord 
Chelmsford  in  the  afternoon.  An  officer  had  ridden 
towards  the  camp,  and  had  seen  it  in  possession  of 
the  Zulus.  The  party  with  the  general,  though 
weary  from  marching  in  the  hot  sun,  at  once  com- 
menced to  retreat,  for  all  its  stores  of  every  kind  were 
lost.  Isandlwana  was  reached  shortly  after  nightfall, 
and  there,  among  the  corpses  of  their  slain  comrades, 
officers  and  men,  alike  worn  out  with  anxiety  and 
fatigue,  lay  down  and  tried  to  rest.  The  Zulus,  after 
plundering  the  camp,  had  retired.  At  early  dawn  the 
retreating  band  resumed  its  march,  and  reached  Natal 
without  being  molested. 

At  Rorke's  Drift,  where  the  column  had  crossed 
the  Buffalo,  there  was  a  small  depot  of  provisions  and 
a  hospital,  and  there  a  hundred  and  thirty  soldiers, 
under  Lieutenants  Bromhead  and  Chard,  had  been 
left  to  keep  open  communication  with  Natal.  About 
five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  day  of  Isandlwana 
this  post  was  attacked  by  between  three  and  four 
thousand  of  the  very  best  of  the  Zulu  soldiers, 
commanded  by  Dabulamanzi,  a  brother  of  Cetywayo. 
Fortunately  the  garrison  had  received  warning  in  time 
to  enable  them  to  make  a  lager  of  sacks  of  maize 
and  boxes  of  biscuits,  behind  which  they  maintained 
such  a  gallant  defence  until  four  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing of  the  23rd  that  Dabulamanzi  then  thought  it 
prudent  to  retire.    Over  three  hundred  of  his  men 


INVASION  OF  ZULU  LAND. 


307 


were  lying  dead  around  the  lager.  Of  the  garrison 
seventeen  were  dead  and  ten  were  wounded.  This 
splendid  defence  saved  Natal  from  invasion,  for  if  the 
post  had  fallen  the  colony  would  have  been  open  to 
the  Zulus. 

The  other  columns  fared  better  than  the  one  whose 
fate  has  been  told.  Colonel  Pearson,  with  about  two 
thousand  European  combatants  and  the  same  number 
of  blacks,  crossed  the  Tugela  near  the  sea,  and  marched 
towards  Ulundi,  the  Zulu  capital,  where  the  whole  of 
the  invading  forces  intended  to  unite.  At  Inyesane 
he  was  attacked  by  a  Zulu  army  between  four  and 
five  thousand  strong,  but  beat  it  back  with  heavy 
loss,  and  on  the  23rd  of  January  reached  the  Nor- 
wegian mission  station  Etshowe.  Here  he  learned 
of  the  disaster  at  Isandlwana,  so  he  sent  his  cavalry 
and  blacks  back  to  Natal,  and  fortified  the  station, 
where  he  remained  until  reinforcements  arrived  from 
England. 

The  third  column  consisted  of  about  seventeen 
hundred  British  soldiers,  fifty  farmers  under  Com- 
mandant Pieter  Uys,  and  three  or  four  hundred 
blacks.  It  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Evelyn 
Wood.  This  column  was  not  attacked  on  its  march, 
and  after  Isandlwana  fortified  a  post  at  Kambula, 
where  it  remained.  Colonel  Wood  managed  to 
inflict  much  damage  upon  the  Zulus  in  his  neighbour- 
hood by  frequent  sallies,  but  on  one  occasion,  at  a 
mountain  named  Hlobane,  his  patrol  was  nearly 
surrounded,  and  ninety-six  of  the  party  were  killed. 
Among  them  were  Commandant  Uys,  Colonel 
Weatherley,  and  the  son  of  the  latter,  a  mere  youth, 


3oS 


NATAL  AND  ZULU  LAND. 


who  died  at  his  father's  side  just  as  Uys's  brother 
had  died  by  his  father's  side  forty-one  years  before. 
On  the  da)*  after  this  event  the  lager  at  Kambula  was 
attacked  by  a  great  Zulu  army,  which  suffered  tre- 
mendous loss  before  it  retired  discomfited. 

In  the  beginning  of  April  Lord  Chelmsford,  with 
a  strong  force  of  soldiers  and  sailors,  marched  from 
Natal  to  the  relief  of  Colonel  Pearson  at  Etshowe. 
On  the  way  he  was  attacked  at  Ginginhlovu,  but  beat 
back  his  assailants,  and  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
station. 

As  soon  as  intelligence  of  the  disaster  at  Isandlwana 
reached  England  strong  reinforcements  were  sent  out, 
and  before  June  some  nine  thousand  soldiers,  cavalry 
and  infantry,  with  a  vast  quantity  of  munitions  of  war 
and  provisions,  reached  Natal.  With  them  came  the 
young  prince  imperial  of  France,  who  was  fated  to 
lose  his  life  a  few  weeks  later  in  a  lonely  dell  in 
Zululand.  He  went  out  from  a  camp  with  a  small 
reconnoitring  party,  which  was  surprised  by  a  band 
of  Zulus  while  it  was  resting,  and  the  prince,  being 
unable  to  mount  his  horse,  was  stabbed  to  death,  his 
companions  having  abandoned  him  and  ridden  away. 

Despatches  now  reached  South  Africa  announcing 
that  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley  had  been  appointed  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  forces,  high  commissioner  for 
South-Eastern  Africa,  and  administrator  of  the 
territories  bordering  on  the  seat  of  war.  Lord 
Chelmsford  was  at  the  time  just  completing  his 
arrangements  for  an  advance  upon  Ulundi.  It 
seemed  as  if  he  was  to  be  deprived  of  the  satisfaction 
of  bringing  the  war  to  an  end,  and,  as  actually  hap- 


BATTLE  OF  ULUNDI. 


309 


pened,  Sir  Garnet  Wolselcy  arrived  before  the  4th  of 
July,  when  Ulundi  was  reached  and  the  final  battle 
was  fought  ;  but  Lord  Chelmsford  was  still  in  com- 
mand of  the  column. 

It  is  estimated  that  about  ten  thousand  Zulu 
soldiers  had  been  killed  before  the  end  of  June. 
Some  twenty  thousand  more  had  lost  heart,  as  they 
had  not  succeeded  in  taking  a  single  lager  during  the 
war,  and  they  had  consequently  deserted  and  dispersed. 
With  from  fifteen  to  twenty  thousand  who  were  true 
to  him  still,  Cetywayo  awaited  the  British  army  at 
Ulundi.  Lord  Chelmsford  formed  his  troops  in  a 
hollow  square,  upon  which  the  Zulus  dashed  them- 
selves in  vain.  Beaten  back  by  a  terrible  storm  of 
bullets,  and  having  no  hope  of  breaking  the  British 
square  by  even  the  heaviest  sacrifice,  they  turned  to 
retire,  when  the  cavalry  was  let  loose  upon  them. 
They  dispersed,  never  again  to  rally,  and  Cetywayo 
was  a  fugitive  seeking  only  concealment.  After 
Ulundi  and  the  military  kraals  near  it  were  burned, 
the  army  fell  back  upon  its  base  of  supplies,  and  Lord 
Chelmsford  resigned  his  command. 

The  war  was  over,  the  colonial  volunteers  were 
allowed  to  return  home,  and  part  of  the  large  regular 
force  in  the  field  was  sent  to  England,  though  until 
Cetywayo's  person  could  be  secured  it  was  not  con- 
sidered advisable  to  remove  the  whole  of  the  troops 
from  the  country.  The  people — all  honour  to  them 
for  it — were  so  loyal  to  their  chief  that  for  many 
weeks  not  one  could  be  found  to  betray  him,  though 
thousands  must  have  been  acquainted  with  his  hiding 
places.    At  length,  however,  a  man,  who  was  threat- 


3io 


NATAL  AND  ZULU  LAND. 


ened  with  death  if  he  did  not  divulge  the  secret, 
pointed  out  a  secluded  kraal  on  the  border  of  a  forest, 
and  Cetywayo  became  a  prisoner. 

Xo  captive  ever  conducted  himself  more  decorously 
than  the  fallen  chief  of  the  Zulus.  He  was  sent  a 
prisoner  to  Capetown,  and,  after  a  short  confinement 
in  the  castle,  had  a  small  farm  close  to  the  one  occu- 
pied by  Langalibalele  assigned  to  him  as  a  residence. 
There  he  was  attended  by  servants  of  his  own  choice, 
and  was  well  cared  for  in  every  respect. 

Zululand  was  divided  by  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley  into 
thirteen  districts,  each  of  which  was  placed  under  the 
government  of  a  chief  independent  of  all  the  others, 
and  nominally  guided  by  the  advice  of  a  single  British 
resident.  But  this  plan  of  settlement  did  not  answer 
at  all,  and  in  1883  Cetywayo  was  allowed  to  return. 
In  the  meantime  he  had  visited  England,  where  he 
was  very  well  received,  and  by  his  sensible  observa- 
tions and  dignified  deportment  had  acquired  the 
favourable  opinion  of  every  one  with  whom  he  came 
in  contact.  It  was  thought  that  after  the  experience 
he  had  gone  through  he  might  without  imprudence 
be  allowed  to  return  to  his  own  country,  upon  making 
a  promise  to  observe  conditions  that  would  prevent 
his  power  from  becoming  dangerous  again. 

Some  of  the  people  welcomed  him  back,  but  others 
adhered  to  a  rival  chief  named  Sibepu,  who  had  found 
means  to  secure  a  large  following.  War  at  once 
broke  out  between  them,  and  when  Cetywayo  died 
in  the  following  year,  it  continued  between  his  son 
Dinizulu  and  Sibepu.  Dinizulu  secured  the  aid  of  a 
body  of  farmers,  in  return  for  which  he  ceded  to  them 


312 


NATAL  AND  ZULU  LAND. 


a  large  tract  of  land,  which  was  afterwards  united  to 
the  South  African  Republic,  and  is  now  known  as 
the  district  of  Vryheid.  With  their  assistance  he 
subdued  his  rival,  but  confusion  and  strife  still 
continued,  so  that  in  1887  what  remained  of  the 
country  was  of  necessity  annexed  to  the  British 
Empire.  It  was  divided  into  six  districts,  and  a 
European  magistrate,  supported  by  soldiers  and 
police,  nowr  has  charge  of  each. 

Not  unnaturally  Dinizulu  objected  to  this  arrange- 
ment, and  he  caused  such  disturbances  against  the 
English  authority  that  order  could  not  be  maintained 
while  he  was  in  the  country.  He  was  therefore 
arrested,  and  in  1889,  with  two  other  chiefs,  was 
sent  to  reside  on  the  island  of  St.  Helena,  where  he 
is  still  living. 

Zululand  has  not  been  annexed  to  Natal,  but  the 
governor  of  the  one  country  is  also  governor  of  the 
other.  Settlement  by  Europeans  in  the  territory  is 
not  practicable  to  any  large  extent 


XXV. 


THE  ORANGE  FREE  STATE  AND  BASUTOLAND. 


The  history  of  the  world  may  be  searched  in  vain 
for  an  instance  of  a  community  in  a  more  unenviable 
position  than  the  burghers  of  the  territory  between 
the  Orange  and  Vaal  rivers  when  they  were  aban- 
doned by  Great  Britain.  They  were  scattered  thinly 
over  a  great  plain,  and  beside  them  in  a  mountain 
land  like  a  strong  fortress  was  a  hostile  tribe  armed 
to  the  teeth,  under  the  ablest  chief  in  South  Africa, 
exulting  in  its  recent  victory  over  a  British  army, 
and  vastly  exceeding  them  in  number  of  combatants. 
To  the  policy  of  forming  a  powerful  Basuto  state 
they  had  been  resolutely  opposed,  yet  now  they  were 
made  to  bear  the  consequences  of  its  creation.  Their 
country  was  without  roads  or  bridges,  almost  without 
churches  and  schools,  so  that  these  were  to  be  pro- 
vided as  well  as  the  ordinary  machinery  of  govern- 
ment, while  they  received  no  share  of  the  customs 
duties  on  their  trade  levied  in  the  ports  of  Natal  and 
the  Cape  Colony.  That  they  surmounted  these 
difficulties  and  made  their  state  one  of  the  most 
flourishing  in  South  Africa  is  something  that  they 
are  justly  proud  of. 


314     ORANGE  FREE  STATE  AND  BASUTOLAND. 

The  form  of  government  that  they  adopted  was 
republican.  There  is  a  president,  who  is  the  prin- 
cipal executive  officer,  and  who  is  elected  by  the 
burghers  for  a  term  of  five  years.  He  must  carry 
out  the  resolutions  of  the  volksraad,  and  has  no  veto 
upon  its  proceedings.  He  is  assisted  by  an  executive 
council.  The  volksraad  is  the  supreme  authority, 
and  consists  at  present  of  fifty-six  members,  one  for 
each  fieldcornetcy  and  one  for  each  seat  of  magis- 
tracy. They  are  elected  for  four  years.  The  presi- 
dent and  the  state  secretary  have  the  right  of  debate, 
but  not  of  voting,  in  the  volksraad.  All  European 
males  of  full  age  born  in  the  State  are  electors,  and 
also  all  European  immigrant  males  of  full  age  who 
have  become  burghers  and  are  in  possession  of 
unmortgaged  landed  property  to  the  value  of  ^150, 
or  are  lessees  of  landed  property  at  a  yearly  rental 
of  £36,  or  are  in  receipt  of  a  fixed  yearly  income  of 
^200,  or  have  been  resident  in  the  State  for  three 
years  and  possess  movable  property  worth  .£300. 
Men  of  coloured  blood  who  live  in  all  respects  as 
Europeans  may  have  the  privilege  to  vote  accorded 
to  them  by  special  resolution  of  the  volksraad,  and 
some  of  very  dark  tint  living  in  the  same  way  go  to 
the  polls  unquestioned.  But  the  principle  is  kept 
clearly  in  view  that  the  government  is  to  represent 
the  civilised  inhabitants  of  the  country,  and  that  those 
who  are  uncivilised  can  have  no  voice  in  its  formation, 
though  they  are  to  be  protected  equally  with  electors 
and  have  the  same  right  in  courts  of  justice. 

The  fundamental  law  of  the  State,  like  that  of  all 
other  European  communities  in  South  Africa,  is  the 


PRESIDENTS  HOFFMAN  AND  BOSHOF.  315 


Roman  as  modified  by  the  legislature  of  Holland 
before  1652.  The  official  language  is  Dutch,  and  the 
courts  of  law  are  after  the  Dutch  pattern,  though 
considerably  modified.  In  each  district  there  is  a 
landdrost,  with  a  body  of  heemraden  to  assist  in 
settling  important  cases,  and  over  all  is  a  supreme 
court  of  judges,  who  must  previously  have  been 
qualified  barristers. 

When  the  British  flag  was  withdrawn  the  com- 
munity was  split  into  factions,  but  the  common 
danger  forced  them  to  unite  in  choosing  a  president 
acceptable  to  Moshesh.  Mr.  Josias  Hoffman,  a 
farmer  who  was  intimately  acquainted  with  the  great 
chief  and  on  excellent  terms  with  him,  was  therefore 
elected.  During  his  short  tenure  of  office,  however, 
the  burghers  felt  that  concession  to  the  Basuto  power 
was  carried  further  than  was  consistent  with  the 
dignity  of  an  independent  state,  and  early  in  1855 
the  volksraad  took  advantage  of  his  having  made  a 
present  of  a  keg  of  gunpowder  to  Moshesh  without 
reporting  the  circumstance  and  clamoured  so  loudly 
against  him  that  he  was  compelled  to  resign. 

Mr.  Jacobus  Nicolaas  Boshof,  a  man  of  education, 
of  high  moral  character,  and  of  considerable  ability, 
was  then  elected  president.  Having  had  a  training 
in  official  work  in  the  civil  service  of  the  Cape  Colony, 
he  was  able  to  put  the  different  departments  of  the 
government  in  good  order.  But  from  the  day  of  his 
assuming  duty  he  was  so  incessantly  harassed  by 
the  all-important  question  with  Moshesh  that  he 
could  do  little  or  nothing  else  for  the  general  welfare 
of  the  country. 


3l6     ORANGE  FREE  STATE  AND  BASUTOLAND. 


Moshesh's  object,  from  a  Bantu  point  of  view,  was 
so  praiseworthy  that  his  followers  were  ready  to  do 
everything  in  their  power  to  promote  it.  He  wished 
to  recover  for  his  tribe  the  whole  of  the  territory 
south  of  the  Vaal  and  west  of  the  Drakensberg  that 
had  been  in  occupation  of  black  people  before  the 
wars  of  Tshaka.  The  remnants  of  the  tribes  that  in 
olden  times  had  occupied  the  ground  were  now  his 
followers,  and  he  wanted  the  soil  that  once  was  theirs. 
Sir  George  Napier  had  given  him  by  treaty  a  large 
portion  of  it,  and  that  much,  at  any  rate,  he  was 
determined  to  have. 

The  object  of  the  Free  State  government  and 
burghers  was  to  retain  the  boundary  fixed  by  Sir 
Harry  Smith,  which,  in  their  opinion,  was  a  fair  one. 
When  white  people  moved  into  the  territory  it  was  a 
vast  waste,  and  if  they  had  not  come  Moshesh  could 
never  have  had  a  quarter  of  the  land  that  was  now  in 
his  possession.  Certainly  Bantu  had  at  some  former 
period  occupied  ground  nearly  as  far  west  as  Bloem- 
fontein,  but  they  had  irrecoverably  lost  it  during  the 
Zulu  wars.  To  admit  Moshesh's  claim  would  be  to 
consent  to  the  annihilation  of  the  State,  and  the 
burghers  had  no  mind  for  that.  Here,  in  brief,  was 
the  cause  of  the  long  and  desperate  struggle  between 
the  Orange  Free  State  and  the  Basuto  tribe. 

For  several  years  Moshesh  directed  his  efforts 
towards  the  south,  leaving  the  farmers  on  his  other 
borders  undisturbed.  In  that  direction  the  herds  of 
the  white  people  were  plundered  mercilessly  by  his 
followers,  and  as  a  rule  he  would  give  no  redress. 
Sir  George   Grey  once  tried   to   arrange  matters 


SECOND  BASUTO  WAR. 


317 


amicably  between  the  two  parties,  and  through  his 
agency  an  agreement  of  peace  and  friendship  was 
signed  ;  but  Moshesh  did  not  long  observe  it.  At 
length  actual  possession  of  occupied  farms  was  taken 
by  parties  of  armed  Basuto,  and  hostilities  could  be 
staved  off  no  longer. 

In  March  1858  the  burghers  of  all  parts  of  the 
State  were  called  out,  and  entered  Basutoland  in  two 
divisions,  the  object  being  to  try  to  confine  the  war 
to  the  enemy's  country.  But  Moshesh  was  much  too 
skilful  a  strategist  for  their  commanders  to  cope  with. 
He  kept  them  closely  occupied  until  after  some 
severe  fighting  they  arrived  in  front  of  Thaba  Bosigo, 
where  they  learned  that  swarms  of  his  light  horsemen 
were  ravaging  their  farms.  Before  them  was  a  moun- 
tain stronghold  which  could  not  be  taken  by  storm, 
and  they  had  not  the  means  of  laying  siege  to  it. 
Under  these  circumstances  the  burghers  dispersed, 
and  made  the  best  of  their  way  to  the  localities  where 
they  had  left  their  families. 

President  Boshof  had  already  applied  to  the  South 
African  Republic  for  aid,  but  as  the  burghers  of  the 
northern  state  were  holding  out  for  special  terms  of 
union,  and  there  was  no  time  to  be  lost,  he  requested 
the  mediation  of  Sir  George  Grey.  Moshesh  con- 
sented to  an  armistice,  and  promised  to  abide  by  the 
decision  of  the  governor.  He  was  wise  enough  to 
recognise  that  if  he  pushed  his  advantage  too  far  he 
would  have  to  deal  with  the  northern  republic  as 
well  as  the  southern,  and  he  felt  certain  that  the 
governor  would  give  him,  as  the  conqueror,  a  good 
strip  of  territory. 


318     ORANGE  FREE  STATE  AND  BASUTOLAND. 


Sir  George  Grey  accepted  the  office  of  mediator. 
He  took  from  Moshesh  a  far  outlying  mission  station 
which  was  a  kind  of  semi-independent  fief  of  the 
Basuto  chieftainship,  but  gave  him  a  large  extent  of 
territory  south  of  Sir  Harry  Smith's  line.  Thus  the 
first  struggle  with  the  Basuto  ended  in  very  serious 
loss  to  the  Orange  Free  State. 

Shortly  after  this  Mr.  Boshof  resigned,  and  was 
succeeded  as  president  by  Mr.  Marthinus  Wessel 
Pretorius,  son  of  the  famous  commandant-general. 
He  represented  a  strong  party  that  desired  the  union 
of  the  two  republics,  but  as  there  were  many  con- 
flicting interests  in  the  way,  besides  the  declaration 
of  the  high  commissioner  that  union  would  dissolve 
the  conventions  with  Great  Britain,  every  attempt  at 
amalgamation  failed. 

During  these  years  the  Free  State  was  continually 
growing  stronger.  The  Griqua  captain  Adam  Kok 
sold  his  territorial  rights  to  the  republic,  his  people 
sold  their  ground  to  farmers  from  the  Cape  Colony, 
and  then  the  whole  clan  moved  away  to  a  new 
country  below  the  Drakensberg  and  south  of  Natal, 
given  to  them  by  Sir  George  Grey.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  a  little  tract  of  almost  unoccupied  land 
belong  to  the  Griqua  captain  Nicholas  Waterboer 
between  the  Modder  and  Orange  rivers  and  a 
location  belonging  to  the  Barolong  chief  Moroko,  the 
whole  territory  between  the  Vaal  and  the  Orange  up 
to  the  Basuto  border  was  now  in  possession  of  white 
people,  and  sheep  farming  and  cattle  rearing  could  be 
carried  on  in  a  large  portion  of  it  with  greater  profit 
than  in  any  other  part  of  South  Africa. 


CONDUCT  OF  MOSHESH. 


319 


Along  the  Basuto  border,  however,  there  was  a 
continual  state  of  unrest.  Moshesh  had  conquered 
the  clans  on  the  northern  bank  of  the  Caledon,  and 
had  annexed  their  ground.  The  white  people  main- 
tained that  the  boundary  should  remain  as  before, 
but  the  chief  said  contemptuously  that  he  had  never 


PORTRAIT  OF  PRESIDENT  BRAND. 


agreed  to  it,  and  he  showed  clearly  that  he  would 
not  respect  it.  President  Pretorius  did  all  that  was 
possible  to  induce  him  to  act  fairly  in  the  matter,  but 
in  vain.  His  people  pressed  across  the  line,  settled 
on  farms,  and  plundered  the  country  for  miles  in 
front  of  them. 

In  1865  Advocate  Jan  Hendrik  Brand  was  elected 


320     ORANGE  FREE  STATE  AND  BASUTOLAND. 


president.    Of  him  it  may  be  said  that  South  Africa 
knows  no  worthier  name,  for  no  one  has  ever  con- 
tributed more  to  the  welfare  of  the  people  than  he. 
Sir  Philip  Wodehouse  had  succeeded  Sir  George 
Grey  as  governor   of  the  Cape   Colony  and  her 
Majesty's  high  commissioner  for  the  regions  beyond. 
President  Brand  requested  him  to   mark   off  the 
northern  boundary  between   the   Free   State  and 
Basutoland,  and  the  volksraad  empowered  him  to 
alter  Sir  Harry  Smith's  line  if  he  saw  fit  to  do  so, 
as  they  were  willing  to  lose  some  ground  if  only  they 
could  secure  peace.     Sir   Philip  was  no  lover  of 
republics,  and  he  never  concealed  his  dislike  of  the 
South  African  farmers  ;  but  in  a  matter  of  this  kind 
he  could  be  depended  upon  to  act  with  the  strictest 
justice.    Moshesh  very  reluctantly  agreed  to  abide 
by  his  decision.    He  visited  the  country,  carefully 
inspected  it,  heard  the  arguments  on  both  sides,  and 
after  much  consideration  confirmed  Sir  Harry  Smith's 
line.    The  president  then  called  upon  Moshesh  to 
withdraw  his  followers  from  the  farms  they  had  taken 
possession  of,  and  upon  the  chief's  failure  to  do  so, 
the  burghers  were  called  out  to  drive  them  back  by 
force,  when  open  war  began. 

The  laying  waste  of  a  large  extent  of  territory  in 
the  Free  State  by  Basuto  horsemen  could  not  be 
prevented,  and  a  number  of  people  were  massacred 
in  a  shocking  manner  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
burgher  forces  were  victorious  in  several  engagements 
and  took  some  mountain  strongholds  by  storm. 
Thaba  Bosigo,  however,  resisted  every  attack  upon 
it.    After  ten  months'  fighting  Moshesh  asked  for 


PRESIDENT  BRAND  AND  MOSHESH.         32 1 


peace,  and  offered  to  cede  a  considerable  part  of  his 
country,  but  a  year  later  he  declared  that  he  had  only 
done  so  in  order  to  secure  a  harvest.  The  president 
and  the  burghers  were  deceived,  and  in  April  1866 
terms  were  agreed  to  and  a  treaty  of  peace  was 
signed. 

His  gardens  were  planted,  and  when  his  harvests 
were  gathered  Moshesh  threw  off  the  mask.  He 
declined  to  fulfil  the  terms  of  the  treaty,  and  in  July 
1867,  President  Brand  was  obliged  to  call  the  burghers 
again  to  arms  to  compel  him  to  observe  his  engage- 
ments. Both  sides  recognised  that  the  struggle  must 
now  be  a  final  one,  and  each  put  forth  its  utmost 
strength.  But  Moshesh  no  longer  possessed  the 
mental  vigour  of  his  earlier  years,  and  in  his  tribe 
there  was  no  one  who  could  take  his  place  as  a 
strategist.  His  sons  were  mere  ordinary  barbarians. 
Soon  fragments  of  the  tribe  began  to  drop  off  and 
move  over  the  Drakensberg.  Then  one  after  another 
all  the  Basuto  strongholds  fell,  except  Thaba  Bosigo, 
Moshesh's  own  mountain,  which  defied  attack.  The 
granaries  were  destroyed,  and  the  bulk  of  the  tribe, 
driven  into  the  mountains,  was  suffering  severely 
from  hunger  and  disease. 

The  Free  State  was  in  a  fair  way  of  being  able 
very  shortly  to  dictate  its  own  terms  when  Sir  Philip 
Wodehouse  interfered.  At  Moshesh's  request  he 
proclaimed  the  Basuto  tribe  British  subjects,  and 
sent  an  armed  force  to  protect  them.  British 
interests,  he  declared,  would  not  permit  of  their 
being  dispersed  over  the  country  as  fugitives. 
Naturally  the  people  of  the  Free  State  regarded 

22 


322     ORANGE  FREE  STATE  AND  BASUTOLAND. 


this  action  as  unfriendly  and  unfair,  and  the  volksraad 
sent  deputies  to  England  to  protest  against  it  ;  but 
the  imperial  authorities  left  the  matter  entirely  in  the 
governor's  hands.  The  president  then  tried  to 
secure  as  good  terms  as  possible,  and  in  February 
1869  an  agreement  was  concluded  by  which  the  Free 
State  obtained  all  the  land  north  and  west  of  the 
Caledon  and  south  of  a  line  almost  identical  with 
that  of  Sir  Harry  Smith  between  the  Caledon  and 
the  Orange. 

The  republic  sorely  needed  rest  when  the  struggle 
with  the  Basuto  was  over,  though  it  was  less 
exhausted  than  its  opponent.  Paper  money  had 
been  issued  to  a  large  amount,  and  the  notes  were 
greatly  depreciated  in  value.  Farming  operations 
had  been  neglected,  and  individuals  as  well  as  the 
state  had  been  compelled  to  incur  heavy  debts. 
There  was  hardly  a  homestead  in  the  land  which  did 
not  bear  evidence  that  a  crisis  of  no  ordinary  nature 
had  been  experienced.  The  loss  of  life  too  had  been 
heavy  in  proportion  to  the  population.  But  the 
hearts  of  the  people  beat  high,  and  government  and 
burghers  alike  set  to  work  resolutely  to  repair  their 
losses. 

A  little  before  this  date  a  discovery  was  made  that 
created  a  perfect  revolution  in  South  African  life. 
One  day  in  1F67  a  child  on  a  farm  in  the  north  of 
the  Cape  Colony  was  observed  to  be  playing  with 
a  remarkably  brilliant  pebble,  which  a  trader,  to 
whom  it  was  shown  as  a  curiosity,  suspected  to  be 
a  eem  of  value.  It  was  sent  for  examination  to  a 
qualified  person  in  Grahamstown,  who  reported  that 


DISCOVERY  OF  DIAMONDS. 


323 


it  was  a  diamond  of  twenty-one  carats  weight,  and 
that  its  value  was  .£500.  Search  was  immediately 
commenced  in  the  neighbourhood  by  several  persons 
in  odd  hours,  and  soon  another,  though  much  smaller, 
was  found.  Then  a  third  was  picked  up  on  the  bank 
of  the  Vaal  river,  and  attention  was  directed  to  that 
locality. 

During  1868  several  were  found,  though  as  yet  no 
one  was  applying  himself  solely  to  looking  for  them. 
In  March  1869  the  Star  of  South  Africa  was 
obtained  from  a  Korana  Hottentot,  who  had  been 
in  possession  of  it  for  a  long  time  without  the  least 
idea  of  its  value  except  as  a  powerful  charm.  It  was 
a  magnificent  brilliant  of  eighty-three  carats  weight 
when  uncut,  and  was  readily  sold  for  £1  1,000.  From 
all  parts  of  South  Africa  men  now  began  to  make 
their  way  to  the  banks  of  the  lower  Vaal  to  search 
for  diamonds,  and  trains  of  waggons  conveying  pro- 
visions and  goods  were  to  be  seen  on  every  highway 
to  the  interior.  Some  of  the  diggers  were  fortunate 
in  amassing  wealth,  but  this  was  by  no  means  the 
case  with  all.  Diamond  digging,  in  fact,  was  like 
a  great  lottery,  with  a  few  prizes  and  many  blanks. 
But  it  had  a  powerful  attraction,  and  shortly  many 
hundreds  of  adventurers  from  Europe  and  America 
were  also  engaged  in  it. 

The  quiet,  simple,  homely  life  of  the  South  African 
farm  and  village  in  olden  times — rarely  disturbed 
except  by  wars  with  Bantu  tribes — had  passed  away 
for  ever,  and  a  bustling,  struggling,  restless  mode  of 
existence  was  rapidly  taking  its  place.  The  wealth 
of  the  country  was  enormously  increased,  for  dia- 


324     ORANGE  FREE  STATE  AND  BASUTOLAND. 


monds  soon  attained  a  high  place  in  the  exports  ; 
but  it  may  be  questioned  if  the  people  are  on  the 
whole  as  happy  as  they  were  before. 

The  southern  bank  of  the  lower  Vaal  was  Free 
State  territory,  but  the  ownership  of  the  northern 
bank  was  disputed.  Before  the  discovery  of  diamonds 
it  was  regarded  as  of  so  little  value  that  no  actual 
government  existed  there,  though  the  South  African 
Republic,  the  Orange  Free  State,  the  Batlapin  tribe, 
and  the  Griqua  captain,  Nicholas  Waterboer,  all 
claimed  the  ground.  The  consequence  was  that  each 
mining  camp  on  that  side  of  the  stream  formed  a 
kind  of  government  for  itself,  and  a  great  deal  of 
confusion  and  lawlessness  was  the  result. 

After  a  while  much  richer  diamond  mines  than 
those  along  the  Vaal  were  discovered  on  some  farms 
to  the  southward,  and  most  of  the  diggers  removed 
to  them.  The  public  offices  of  the  district  in  which 
they  were  situated  were  at  a  considerable  distance,  but 
as  soon  as  arrangements  could  be  made  by  the  govern- 
ment, a  resident  landdrost  was  appointed,  a  post-office 
was  established,  and  some  policemen  were  engaged. 

In  the  minds  of  people  at  a  distance  the  various 
camps  were  confused  with  each  other,  and  all  were 
supposed  to  be  in  the  lawless  condition  of  those  north 
of  the  Vaal.  Most  of  the  diggers  were  British 
subjects,  so  that  her  Majesty's  high  commissioner 
considered  it  his  duty  to  interfere  in  the  interests  of 
order.  At  that  time  one  of  the  shrewdest  men  in 
South  Africa  was  agent  for  the  Griqua  captain, 
Nicholas  Waterboer,  and  on  behalf  of  his  client  had 
laid  claim  to  a  large  part  of  the  Orange  Free  State, 


ORANGE  FREE  STATE  AND  BASUTOLAND.  325 


including  the  locality  in  which  the  diamond  mines 
were  situated.  No  pretension  could  be  more  shadowy, 
but  when  Mr.  Arnot,  on  behalf  of  Waterboer,  offered 
the  territory  to  the  British  government,  it  came  to  be 
regarded,  on  one  side  at  least,  as  having  some  real 
foundation. 

The  high  commissioner  proposed  arbitration, 
which  President  Brand  declined.  The  territory  which 
Mr.  Arnot  claimed  south  of  the  Vaal,  he  said,  had 
been  part  of  the  Free  State  ever  since  the  convention 
of  1854.  Before  that  date  it  had  been  part  of  the 
Orange  River  Sovereignty,  and  some  of  the  farms 
in  it  were  held  under  British  titles  issued  at  that 
time.  Nicholas  Waterboer  and  his  people  lived  far 
away,  and,  as  well  as  could  be  ascertained,  had  never 
occupied  ground  there.  Under  these  circumstances 
he  would  not  admit  that  there  could  be  any  question 
of  ownership.  The  right  of  the  state  to  land  beyond 
the  Vaal,  however,  he  was  willing  to  submit  to 
arbitration,  as  it  had  been  acquired  by  purchase,  and 
the  seller's  title  might  be  open  to  doubt. 

While  the  high  commissioner  and  the  president 
were  corresponding  on  this  subject,  Mr.  Marthinus 
Wessel  Pretorius,  who  was  then  president  of  the 
South  African  Republic,  agreed  to  submit  some 
disputes  between  that  country  and  the  Barolong, 
Batlapin,  and  Griquas,  to  arbitration,  in  consequence 
of  which  a  court  was  appointed,  with  Mr.  Keate, 
governor  of  Natal,  as  final  umpire,  and  proceedings 
were  opened  at  the  little  village  of  Bloemhof,  on  the 
northern  bank  of  the  Vaal.  The  Free  State  govern- 
ment was  not  represented  in  the  court. 


326     ORANGE  FREE  STATE  AND  BASUTOLAND. 


The  interests  involved  were  greater  than  were 
recognised  at  the  time.  It  was  supposed  that  the 
sovereignty  of  some  of  the  diamond  mines  was  the 
great  question  at  issue  ;  now  it  is  seen  that  access  by 
Great  Britain  to  the  distant  interior  was  also  involved. 
On  one  side  the  proceedings  were  a  perfect  farce. 
President  Pretorius  and  his  attorney  did  nothing 
whatever  to  work  up  their  case  ;  they  did  not  attempt 
to  meet  evidence  that  might  have  been  disproved 
with  the  greatest  ease  ;  they  even  put  in  a  spurious 
document  given  to  them  by  one  of  their  opponents 
purposely  to  befool  them.  On  the  other  side  was 
Mr.  Arnot,  who  knew  exactly  what  to  withhold  as 
well  as  what  to  bring  forward.  The  result  was  that 
Mr.  Keate,  acting  solely  on  the  evidence  before  him, 
gave  judgment  against  the  South  African  Republic, 
and  in  defining  the  territories  of  the  disputants 
included  within  Nicholas  Waterboer's  boundary  the 
part  of  the  Free  State  which  that  captain  claimed. 

As  soon  as  the  Keate  award  was  issued — October, 
1 87 1 — Sir  Henry  Barkly,  who  was  then  high 
commissioner,  proclaimed  Waterboer's  country  a 
British  dependency,  with  boundaries  enclosing  the 
mines  along  the  Vaal,  and  at  Dutoitspan,  De  Beer's, 
and  Kimberley.  An  armed  force  was  sent  to  take 
possession  of  it,  and  the  Free  State  officials  withdrew 
under  protest.  The  territory,  which  was  named 
Griqualand  West,  then  became  a  crown  colony.  It 
remained  in  that  condition  until  1880,  when  it  was 
annexed  to  the  Cape  Colony,  of  which  it  now  forms 
part. 

Some  time  after  Griqualand  WTest  came  under  the 


PRESIDENT  BRAND'S  VISIT  TO  ENGLAND.  $2J 


British  flag,  a  special  court  was  created  to  decide 
upon  conflicting  claims  to  ground.  For  many  weeks 
evidence  was  taken,  and  the  most  minute  research 
was  made  into  the  history  of  the  land  and  its  people. 
When  at  length  judgment  was  given,  all  claims  within 
the  diamond  mining  area  that  rested  on  grants  by 
Waterboer  were  thrown  out,  because  that  captain 
never  had  any  rights  there. 

President  Brand  then  went  to  England  and  laid 
his  case  before  the  Imperial  authorities.  In  brief  it 
was  this — that  Great  Britain  had  taken  the  land  from 
the  Free  State  under  pretence  that  it  belonged  to 
Waterboer,  and  that  a  British  court,  after  careful 
examination,  had  since  decided  that  Waterboer  had 
no  right  to  it.  The  reply  which  he  received  was  to 
the  effect  that  it  was  a  necessity  for  the  paramount 
power  in  South  Africa  to  be  in  possession  of  the 
diamond  mines,  but  he  would  receive  ,£90,000  from 
Griqualand  West  as  a  solatium. 

The  president  wisely  accepted  the  offer,  and  with 
the  money  reduced  the  public  debt  of  the  state. 
The  sore  feeling  entertained  by  the  burghers  passed 
away,  and  they  began  to  reflect  that  perhaps  after  all 
it  was  better  for  them  to  be  relieved  of  the  respon- 
sibility of  maintaining  order  among  the  diggers.  A 
diamond  mine  at  Jagersfontein  had  been  left  to  them, 
and  it  was  turning  out  much  richer  than  had  once 
been  anticipated.  Then  they  had  all  the  advantages 
which  the  other  mines  offered  as  markets  for  farm 
produce,  so  that  they  might  have  a  good  deal  of  gain 
with  no  risk. 

Since  this  settlement  the  Free  State  has  enjoyed 


328     ORANGE  FREE  STATE  AND  BASUTOLAND. 


constant  peace,  and  no  part  of  South  Africa  has 
made  greater  progress.  Roads,  bridges,  and  good 
public  buildings  have  been  constructed,  and  an  excel- 
lent system  of  public  schools  is  maintained  by  the 
government.  The  railway  from  Capetown  to  Pretoria, 
in  the  South  African  Republic,  passes  through  the 
state,  and  there  are  lines  to  Port  Elizabeth  and  East 
London,  all  of  which  were  constructed  by  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Cape  Colony  under  a  very  liberal  con- 
vention. From  Harrismith  there  is  a  line  to  Durban, 
constructed  by  the  government  of  Natal.  The  Free 
State  is  without  a  public  debt.  Its  boundaries  on 
every  side  are  undisputed,  and  it  has  no  semi-inde- 
pendent clans  within  its  borders.  The  Barolong  of 
Moroko,  the  last  who  were  in  that  condition,  came 
completely  under  the  government  after  a  feud  in 
which  the  chief  was  killed  by  one  of  his  brothers. 
The  Cape  Colony,  the  Orange  Free  State,  and  the 
smaller  British  dependencies  in  South  Africa,  except 
Natal,  form  a  customs  union. 

President  Brand  was  elected  again  and  again  until 
1888,  when  he  died  in  office.  Mr.  F.  W.  Reitz, 
previously  chief  justice,  was  then  chosen  to  fill  the 
vacant  place.  According  to  the  census  of  1890 
the  population  consists  of  seventy-eight  thousand 
Europeans  and  one  hundred  and  thirty  thousand 
coloured  people.  The  industries  of  the  state  are 
almost  entirely  pastoral  and  agricultural,  but  there 
are  valuable  coal  fields  which  are  beginning  to  be 
worked,  and  there  are  diamond  mines  at  Jagers- 
fontein  and  Koffyfontein  :  the  last-named,  however, 
not  being  of  great  importance. 


33°     ORANGE  FREE  STATE  AND  BASUTOLAND. 

When  Basutoland  was  taken  over  as  a  British 
possession,  an  agent  was  appointed  by  the  high 
commissioner,  who,  with  a  few  magistrates  and  some 
police,  guided  rather  than  governed  the  tribe. 
Moshesh  died  soon  afterwards,  and  his  principal 
heir,  Letsie  by  name,  had  none  of  the  old  chief's 
ability.  Molapo  and  Masupha,  two  other  sons,  were 
at  the  head  of  considerable  sections  of  the  tribe.  All 
were  unwilling  to  part  with  any  real  authority  over 
the  people,  and  gave  just  sufficient  obedience  to  the 
British  officials  to  ensure  protection,  but  carefully 
avoided  conceding  more. 

In  1 87 1  the  territory  was  attached  to  the  Cape 
Colony,  which  thus  became  responsible  for  the 
preservation  of  order  within  it.  The  system  of 
administration  continued  as  before.  Bantu  law  was 
recognised,  except  in  a  few  of  its  worst  features, 
but  it  was  intended  gradually  to  assimilate  it  to  the 
law  of  the  colony.  Sufficient  hut-tax  was  easily 
collected  to  cover  the  cost  of  administration  and 
to  leave  a  small  amount  for  public  works,  besides 
providing  for  liberal  allowances  to  the  chiefs. 

In  a  short  time  the  tribe  recovered  from  its  losses 
in  property,  and  increased  in  number  as  only  Bantu 
can  in  a  period  of  peace.  Europeans  believed  that 
the  British  officials  were  gaining  control  over  the 
people,  and  that  the  power  of  the  chiefs  was  waning  ; 
but  it  was  soon  to  be  proved  how  little  foundation 
there  was  for  such  a  belief.  In  1877  a  wave  of 
disturbance  began  to  pass  along  the  Bantu  tribes 
connected  with  the  Cape  Colony,  and  when  it  sub- 
sided the  government  resolved  upon  a  general  dis- 


BASUTOLAND. 


331 


armament.  As  soon  as  the  measure  was  applied 
to  Basutoland,  the  people  rose  in  rebellion.  Some 
clans,  indeed,  professed  to  be  loyal,  but  only  because 
others  with  whom  they  were  at  feud  were  on  the 
opposite  side.  The  colony  spent  a  vast  amount  of 
treasure  in  trying  to  reduce  the  rebels  to  submission, 
but  failed  in  the  attempt,  and  the  end  was  that  in 
1884  Basutoland  was  transferred  back  to  the  imperial 
government. 

The  country  since  that  date  has  been  nominally 
under  the  direction  of  a  British  administrator,  with 
magistrates  to  assist  him  ;  and  these  officers  appear 
to  have  some  moral  influence,  though  the  people 
obey  only  when  it  pleases  them.  Letsie  died 
recently,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Lerothodi, 
who  is  now  the  actual  ruler  of  the  tribe. 

Basutoland  contains  at  present  about  two  hundred 
and  twenty-five  thousand  Bantu,  and  six  hundred 
Europeans.  The  white  people  are  officials,  mission- 
aries, or  traders.  No  others  are  permitted  to  settle 
in  the  country. 


XXVI. 


THE  SOUTH  AFRICAN  REPUBLIC. 

THE  vast  tract  of  land  north  of  the  Vaal,  that 
became  the  property  of  the  emigrant  farmers  after 
the  expulsion  of  Moselekatse,  contained  ground  suit- 
able for  almost  every  variety  of  agricultural  and 
pastoral  industry,  and,  though  the  circumstances  was 
then  unknown,  in  mineral  wealth  it  is  not  surpassed 
by  any  country  in  the  world.  Its  eastern  and 
northern  valleys,  wrell  watered  and  of  great  fertility, 
had  for  a  time  a  strong  attraction  for  settlers,  but 
experience  proved  them  to  be  less  healthy  than  the 
open  highlands,  and  they  were  therefore  partly  aban- 
doned. In  some  places  the  tsetse  fly  abounded,  and 
this  scourge  of  domestic  cattle  prevented  settlement 
in  its  neighbourhood  until  the  large  game  was  ex- 
terminated, when  it  disappeared.  The  fever  too, 
that  was  once  so  prevalent  on  the  borders  of  forests 
and  streams  in  the  lowlands,  in  course  of  time  became 
almost  unknown  in  the  same  localities  if  the  ground 
was  cultivated  and  the  rank  grass  burnt  off  before  it 
began  to  decay. 

The  farmers  were  only  fifteen  or  sixteen  thousand 
332 


LAWLESSNESS. 


333 


in  number,  all  told,  so  they  naturally  selected  what 
appeared  to  them  the  choicest  spots,  and  no  one 
considered  it  worth  his  while  to  settle  on  the  great 
plains  of  the  west.  There  was  no  such  thing  as 
union  among  them.  An  attempt  was  made  to  form 
a  kind  of  common  government,  by  the  election  of  a 
single  volksraad  for  legislative  purposes,  but  with 
four  executive  heads,  one  for  each  of  the  principal 
factions.  This  system,  as  may  be  imagined,  was 
accompanied  by  much  disorder,  and  was  soon  suc- 
ceeded by  four  republics,  independent  of  each 
other  :  Potchefstroom,  Zoutpansberg,  Lydenburg, 
and  Utrecht.  Matters  were  not  mended  by  this 
arrangement,  and  it  may  almost  be  said  that  the 
white  people  beyond  the  Vaal  were  without  govern- 
ment at  all. 

A  notable  evil  that  resulted  from  this  condition  of 
things  was  that  the  outskirts  of  the  occupied  area 
offered  a  refuge  to  vagabonds  of  every  stamp,  who 
resorted  to  them  from  other  parts  of  South  Africa. 
Men  capable  of  the  most  abominable  cruelty  and 
meanness,  but  possessing  the  quality  of  brute  courage, 
roamed  along  the  frontier  nominally  as  hunters  and 
traders,  and  their  lawless  deeds  were  attributed  by 
people  at  a  distance  to  the  whole  community. 

When  Europeans  first  entered  the  country,  it  was 
in  a  similar  condition  to  Mashonaland  in  1890. 
North  and  west,  as  far  as  it  was  known,  the  native 
tribes  had  been  destroyed  by  the  Matabele,  and  only 
a  few  wretched  remnants  were  living  either  along 
the  margin  of  the  Kalahari  desert  or  among  almost 
inaccessible  mountains.    The  greater  portion  of  the 


334  THE  SOUTH  AFRICAN  REPUBLIC 


territory  south  of  the  twenty-second  parallel  of  lati- 
tude was  literally  without  inhabitants,  for  Mosele- 
katse's  bands  were  in  the  habit  of  traversing  it  yearly 
in  one  direction  or  other,  and  no  clan  could  live  in 
their  way.  The  arrival  of  the  white  people  and  the 
flight  of  the  Matabele  gave  new  life  to  the  dwellers 
in  the  mountains  and  deserts.  They  could  come 
out  into  the  open  country  once  more,  and  make 
gardens  and  sleep  in  safety.  The  Europeans  were 
masters  and  owners  of  the  land,  but  in  accordance 
with  the  ancient  Dutch  custom,  they  permitted  each 
little  Bantu  community  to  be  governed  by  its  own 
chief  in  all  matters  that  did  not  affect  the  ruling 
race. 

The  kraals  were  made  subject  to  a  labour  tax,  and 
under  a  strong  government  no  better  tax  could  be 
imposed  upon  a  barbarous  people.  But  under  the 
weak  rule  of  the  emigrant  farmers  the  system  was 
liable  to  great  abuses,  though  the  Bantu  thought 
lightly  of  it  until  the  dread  of  the  Matabele  was 
forgotten.  Life  was  now  safe,  and  the  occupants  of 
the  kraals  were  multiplying  at  a  prodigious  rate, 
besides  which  fugitives  were  coming  in  from  the 
regions  beyond  the  Limpopo,  where  Moselekatse 
was  lord. 

Ten  years  passed  away,  and  the  clans  had  become 
so  strong  that  they  began  to  chafe  under  the  re- 
straints imposed  upon  them  by  the  white  men  and 
to  aspire  to  independence.  The  anarchy  and  strife 
among  the  Europeans  appeared  to  give  them  the 
opportunity  they  wanted.  But  among  themselves 
also  there  was  the  remembrance  of  ancient  feuds, 


DR.  LIVINGSTONE. 


335 


which  caused  so  much  jealousy  that  combination  was 
impossible,  and  instead  of  rising  altogether,  it  was  in 
succession  that  the  most  disaffected  among  them 
took  up  arms.  Then,  too,  as  will  be  seen  on  a 
much  more  memorable  occasion  at  a  later  date,  in 
presence  of  an  opponent  the  farmers  stood  shoulder 
to  shoulder,  and  were  therefore  able  to  suppress  the 
various  risings  against  their  authority. 

These  disturbances  were  brought  prominently  to 
the  notice  of  the  English  people  by  the  reverend 
Dr.  Livingstone,  the  greatest  explorer  of  modern 
times,  who  was  then  a  missionary  with  the  Bakwena, 
under  the  chief,  Setyeli,  and  whose  house  and  furni- 
ture were  destroyed  during  the  war.  Dr.  Livingstone 
was  a  strong  partisan  of  the  Bantu,  and  did  his 
utmost  to  oppose  the  claim  of  the  emigrant  farmers 
to  dominion  over  the  clan  with  which  he  was  living, 
so  that  his  statements  are  those  of  an  advocate 
rather  than  those  of  a  judge.  He  represented  Setyeli 
as  wholly  in  the  right,  and  the  farmers  as  wholly  in 
the  wrong  :  but  any  impartial  writer  who  examines 
Setyeli's  own  account  of  the  matter,  as  given  by 
himself  personally  to  the  governor  in  Capetown, 
must  come  to  a  different  conclusion. 

War  cannot  be  carried  on  without  cruelty,  but  in 
these  contests  acts  were  sometimes  performed  by  the 
Europeans  which  exceeded  the  limit  regarded  as 
permissable  by  civilised  nations.  It  should  be  re- 
membered, however,  that  the  provocation  on  such 
occasions  was  very  great,  as,  for  instance,  when 
white  women  and  children  were  murdered  in  cold 
blood,  or  when  corpses  were  mutilated,  or  captives 


336 


THE  SOUTH  AFRICAN  REPUBLIC. 


put  to  death  by  torture.  Men  belonging  to  the  most 
refined  circles  in  Europe  would  probably  retaliate 
under  such  circumstances  as  cruelly  as  the  emigrant 
farmers  did. 

Early  in  1857  the  Potchefstroom  faction  adopted 
a  new  constitution,  under  which  Mr.  Marthinus 
Wessel  Pretorius  became  president,  though  with  no 
other  power  than  to  carry  out  the  resolutions  of  the 
volksraad.  In  the  following  year  Zoutpansberg  gave 
in  its  adhesion  to  this  constitution,  and,  in  i860, 
Lydenburg  and  Utrecht,  previously  united,  were  also 
incorporated,  so  that  the  whole  country  north  of 
the  Vaal  became  a  single  republic.  The  different 
factions  now  began  to  strive  for  the  supreme  power 
in  the  state,  and  a  civil  war  broke  out,  in  which 
some  blood  was  shed.  Peace  was  restored  in  May, 
1864,  when  Mr.  Pretorius  was  accepted  by  all 
parties  as  the  legally  elected  president,  and  Mr.  S. 
J.  Paul  Kruger  as  commandant-general  or  military 
head. 

Meantime  the  Baramapulana  tribe,  which  was 
living  in  a  mountainous  tract  of  land  in  the  north 
of  the  republic,  had  become  very  strong  in  number, 
owing  to  an  influx  of  broken  clans  from  beyond  the 
Limpopo.  It  was  in  possession  of  a  good  many 
guns,  procured  from  the  vagabond  whites  in  the 
neighbourhood,  and  was  disposed  to  resent  any  inter- 
ference with  its  actions.  In  a  feud  a  brother  of  the 
chief  was  obliged  to  flee,  and  was  protected  by  the 
Government,  a  circumstance  which  greatly  annoyed 
his  opponents.  In  April  1865,  when  searching  for  a 
fugitive  offender,  some  of  the  lawless  Europeans  and 


WAR  WITH  THE  BARAMAPULANA. 


337 


a  party  of  blacks  who  were  assisting  them  committed 
acts  of  great  violence  upon  the  outposts  of  the  tribe, 
and  a  general  war  was  brought  on. 

For  more  than  three  years  the  republic  strove  in 
vain  to  subdue  the  Baramapulana.  There  was  no 
money  in  the  treasury,  and  the  government  was 
actually  at  one  time  unable  to  raise  funds  sufficient 
to  pay  for  the  carriage  of  ammunition  from  Durban. 
The  burghers  of  the  southern  part  of  the  state  re- 
fused to  take  part  in  the  war.  Commandant-General 
Kruger  did  all  that  man  could  do  with  the  slender 
means  at  his  disposal,  but  he  was  at  length  obliged 
to  withdraw  discomfited.  The  village  of  Schoe- 
mansdal,  the  centre  of  the  ivory  trade  and  the 
residence  of  a  landdrost  and  a  clergyman,  was 
abandoned  by  its  inhabitants  when  the  feeble  com- 
mando retired,  and  was  afterwards  burnt  by  the 
enemy.  The  Europeans  were  obliged  for  their 
safety  to  withdraw  from  a  large  part  of  the  district 
of  Zoutpansberg,  to  which  they  were  never  able  to 
return.  The  Baramapulana,  however,  felt  the  want 
of  commercial  intercourse,  and  in  July  1868  ex- 
pressed a  desire  for  a  renewal  of  friendship,  at  the 
same  time  offering  to  pay  tribute,  when  peace  was 
gladly  made  on  conditions  which  by  no  means 
secured  the  absolute  supremacy  of  the  republican 
government. 

The  white  people  had  thus  lost  ground,  and  the 
fact  of  their  having  done  so  made  it  more  difficult 
than  before  to  preserve  order  among  the  Bantu 
farther  south.  In  one  respect  only  the  country 
showed  signs  of  progress  :  in  the  number  of  churches 

23 


338 


THE  SOUTH  AFRICAN  REPUBLIC. 


built  and  clergymen  engaged.  Yet  even  in  religious 
matters  there  was  constant  strife  among  the  sections 
of  what  outsiders  can  only  regard  as  one  church,  so 
trifling  are  the  differences  that  break  it  into  distinct 
communions.  A  generation  had  grown  up  without  a 
knowledge  of  books  or  of  events  beyond  their  own 
little  circle.  The  rivers  were  unbridged,  there  were 
no  public  offices  worthy  of  the  name,  the  treasury 
was  always  empty,  and  the  salaries  of  the  officials, 
trifling  as  they  were,  could  seldom  or  never  be  paid 
when  they  fell  due.  Commerce  was  carried  on  chiefly 
by  means  of  barter,  as  gold  and  silver  were  exceeding 
scarce.  Still  on  the  farms  anything  like  want  was 
unknown,  for  the  flocks  and  herds  throve  and  in- 
creased in  the  rich  pastures,  and  the  fertile  soil 
produced  grain  and  vegetables  and  fruit  in  abun- 
dance. 

The  war  with  the  Baramapulana  was  hardly  con- 
cluded when  fresh  difficulties  arose  through  the 
Barolong  of  Montsiwa  and  other  clans  on  the  west 
setting  up  a  claim  to  independence  and  to  the 
possession  of  a  territory  of  immense  extent.  The 
republic  was  not  in  a  position  to  assert  its  authority 
by  force  of  arms,  and  indeed  the  matter  was  hardly 
considered  worth  much  notice  until  the  discovery 
of  diamonds  along  the  lower  Vaal  gave  importance 
to  the  claim.  Then  President  Pretorius  and  her 
Majesty's  high  commissioner  for  South  Africa 
arranged  that  it  should  be  settled  by  arbitration, 
and  each  party  appointed  a  representative  to  form 
a  court,  with  Governor  Keate,  of  Natal,  as  final 
umpire.    The  manner  in  which  the  case   for  the 


PRESIDENT  BURGERS. 


339 


republic  was  conducted  has  been  related  in  the 
preceding  chapter.  Governor  Keate's  award  gave 
to  the  tribes  the  independence  and  the  territory 
that  they  claimed,  and  even  took  from  the  govern- 
ment at  Pretoria  a  large  district  that  had  been 
occupied  by  white  people  ever  since  the  great 
emigration. 

As  soon  as  the  award  was  known  President 
Pretorius  was  obliged  to  resign,  for  the  volksraad 
maintained  that  he  had  exceeded  his  authority  in 
making  the  agreement  with  the  high  commissioner, 
and  declared  that  they  were  not  bound  by  his  action. 
The  high  commissioner,  however,  announced  that  he 
would  enforce  the  award,  though  he  did  not  take 
possession  of  the  territory  cut  off  from  the  republic 
by  it.  And  now  there  was  a  general  cry  that  a 
clever  man,  capable  of  conducting  business  on  equal 
terms  with  the  queen's  representative  in  Capetown, 
must  be  found  to  fill  the  office  of  president.  The 
reverend  Thomas  Francois  Burgers,  a  clergyman  who 
had  abandoned  the  orthodox  church  and  whose  name 
was  then  prominently  before  the  public  on  account  of 
the  skilful  manner  in  which  he  had  conducted  some 
difficult  cases  in  the  law  courts  of  the  Cape  Colony, 
seemed  to  possess  the  requisite  ability,  and  he  was 
elected  by  a  nearly  unanimous  vote. 

Mr.  Burgers  was  an  able  and  an  active  man,  with 
large  persuasive  powers,  but  he  was  a  dreamer.  He 
dreamed  of  a  powerful  and  prosperous  republic,  with 
colleges  and  telegraphs  and  railways,  with  a  high 
name  among  the  nations  of  the  earth ;  and  he 
imagined   that   it  could  be  formed  off-hand  out  of 


340 


THE  SOUTH  AFRICAN  REPUBLIC. 


a  few  thousand  uneducated  men  with  seventeenth- 
century  ideas  and  such  immigrants  as  he  could 
induce  to  join  him  from  Holland.  Two  years  after 
his  election  he  induced  the  volksraad  to  send  him 
to  Europe  to  negotiate  a  loan  for  the  purpose  of 
constructing  a  railway  from  Pretoria  to  Delagoa  Bay 
and  to  engage  teachers  for  a  number  of  state 
schools. 

In  Holland  ,£90,000  was  subscribed  towards  the 
loan,  and  with  the  money  railway  material  was 
purchased  and  sent  out  to  rust  and  rot  away  at 
Lourenco  Marques,  for  no  more  could  be  borrowed. 
A  superintendent-general  of  education  and  a  few 
other  officials  were  engaged,  with  whom  the  president 
returned  to  Pretoria,  to  find  that  during  his  absence 
the  Bapedi  tribe,  under  the  chief  Sekukuni,  that 
occupied  a  wild  and  rugged  tract  of  land  in  the 
valley  of  the  Olifants  river,  had  acted  in  a  manner 
that  no  government  could  tolerate. 

A  large  commando  was  called  out  to  punish  the 
insurgents,  but  the  burghers  assembled  in  fear  and 
trembling.  The  president  was  to  lead  it  in  person, 
and  as  he  was  in  religion  an  agnostic,  they — with 
their  thorough  orthodox  creed — feared  much  that  the 
blessing  of  God  could  not  rest  upon  the  enterprise. 
So  strong  had  this  feeling  become  throughout  the 
country  that  a  large  number  of  families,  rather  than 
remain  under  his  government,  were  moving  away  to 
seek  a  new  home  beyond  the  Kalahari  desert,  and 
were  even  then  marking  the  road  to  Mossamedes  in 
the  Portuguese  province  of  Benguela,  where  they 
ultimately  settled,  with  a  line  of  graves  showing  the 


REBELLION  OF  THE  BAPEDI. 


341 


terrible  sufferings  of  their  march.  The  passionate 
feeling  at  the  time  of  his  election  had  passed  away, 
and  hardly  anything  was  now  remembered  except  the 
failure  of  many  of  his  plans. 

One  strong  place  was  taken,  which  the  president  in 
overdrawn  language  wrote  of  as  the  Gibraltar  of  the 
south,  but  this  success  did  not  give  heart  to  the 
farmers.  An  attempt  to  take  another  stronghold 
failed,  chiefly  owing  to  the  conduct  of  the  burghers 
themselves,  and  then  there  was  a  perfect  stampede 
homeward,  which  all  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Burgers  could 
not  prevent.  Some  days  later  the  fugitives  reached 
Pretoria,  and  no  hope  of  suppressing  the  rebellion 
speedily  was  left. 

The  volksraad  was  hastily  convened,  when  it  was 
resolved  to  engage  men  wherever  they  could  be 
obtained,  at  £5  a  month,  rations,  and  a  farm  of  four 
thousand  acres  when  the  disturbance  was  quelled. 
To  meet  the  expense  heavy  war  taxes  were  imposed. 

But  the  country  was  quite  unable  to  bear  this 
strain.  The  ordinary  charges  of  government  and 
the  interest  on  the  public  debt  could  not  be  met, 
much  less  an  additional  burden.  And  so  the  whole 
administrative  machinery  broke  down.  The  republic 
was  really  in  a  pitiable  state,  without  money  or  an 
army,  with  rebellion  triumphant,  and  a  general 
election  approaching  that  was  feared  might  be 
attended  with  civil  war. 

While  things  were  in  this  condition  Sir  Theophilus 
Shepstone,  previously  secretary  for  native  affairs  in 
Natal,  was  sent  by  the  British  government  as  a  com- 
missioner to  Pretoria  with  very  large  powers.    It  is 


3\2 


THE  SOUTH  AFRICAX  REPUBLIC. 


admitted  by  even-  one  that  a  country  is  entitled  to 
interfere  with  a  neighbour  whose  weakness  is  a  cause 
of  common  peril  ;  but  whether  Great  Britain  was 
justified  in  this  instance  in  taking  possession  of  the 
South  African  Republic  is  a  question  upon  which 
opinions  differ.  One  of  the  reasons  assigned  by 
Sir  Theophilus  Shepstone  for  the  action  which  he 
took  was  that  the  territory  was  in  danger  of  being 
overrun  by  the  Zulus,  and  if  that  was  really  so,  the 
circumstance  would  go  a  long  way  to  support  his 
proceedings.  But  the  farmers  never  expressed  a  fear 
of  such  a  danger,  and  always  alleged  that  they  could 
repel  Cetywayo's  armies  much  more  easily  than 
besiege  a  fortified  mountain  stronghold.  The  Zulu 
chief  at  the  time  was  trying  to  play  off  the  republic 
against  Natal,  and  his  declarations  to  one  party 
concerning  the  other  cannot  be  regarded  as  evidence, 
though  the  British  commissioner  seems  to  have 
attached  much  value  to  them.  Further  than  this, 
the  residents  of  the  villages,  who  were  principally 
English  and  Germans,  requested  the  commissioner 
to  declare  the  country  a  British  dependency,  as  the 
only  remedy  against  anarch)-,  and  the  farmers  did 
nothing  to  oppose  him  and  his  slender  escort.  The 
government  managed  to  patch  up  a  kind  of  peace 
with  Sekukuni,  but  otherwise  matters  remained  in 
the  condition  described  until  the  I2th  of  .April  1877, 
when  Sir  Theophilus  Shepstone  issued  a  proclamation 
declaring  the  country  a  British  possession,  and  there- 
upon assumed  supreme  control,  the  president  retiring 
under  protest. 

A  considerable   military   force  now  entered  the 


BRITISH  RULE.  343 

Transvaal  territory,  as  the  country  was  re-named,  and 
apparently  the  new  government  was  firmly  established. 
Trade  revived,  money  flowed  in,  and  property  of  every 
kind  increased  in  value.  But  the  farmers  were  dis- 
satisfied with  the  loss  of  their  independence,  and  sent 
Mr.  Paul  Kruger  and  Dr.  Jorissen  to  England  to 
endeavour  to  get  the  annexation  withdrawn.  The 
deputation  failed  in  its  purpose,  and  at  that  time  the 
British  ministry  appear  to  have  believed  that  a  large 
proportion  of  the  people  of  the  territory — if  not  the 
majority — were  in  favour  of  English  rule.  As  a  proof 
that  this  was  not  the  case,  memorials  were  sent  round 
against  the  annexation,  and  received  the  signatures  of 
over  six  thousand  five  hundred  individuals,  represent- 
ing practically  the  whole  rural  population.  Another 
deputation,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Paul  Kruger  and 
Pieter  Joubert,  with  Mr.  Eduard  Bok  as  secretary, 
was  now  sent  to  England,  in  hope  that  with  so  strong 
an  argument  in  its  favour  it  would  meet  with  success. 
But  it  returned  disappointed,  and  thereafter  repeated 
declarations  were  made  by  the  highest  officials  in 
South  Africa  that  under  no  circumstances  would  the 
British  flag  be  withdrawn  from  the  Transvaal. 

Sir  Theophilus  Shepstone  was  personally  not  dis- 
liked, and  if  any  one  could  have  made  the  farmers 
contented  under  English  rule  he  would  have  done  it. 
But  in  March  1879  he  was  succeeded  as  adminis- 
trator by  Sir  Owen  Lanyon,  a  man  of  haughty  dis- 
position, who  was  incapable  of  even  attempting  to 
conciliate  the  people  of  the  country.  The  feeling  now 
rapidly  gained  ground  that  if  peaceable  means  to 
obtain  the  restoration  of  independence  did  not  soon 


344 


THE  SOUTH  AFRICAN  REPUBLIC. 


succeed,  an  appeal  to  arms  ought  to  be  made.  The 
women  of  South  Africa  have  always  had  great 
influence  in  public  affairs,  and  on  this  occasion  their 
voice  was  decidedly  in  favour  of  war.  Mothers  en- 
couraged their  sons,  wives  their  husbands,  to  act  as 
men,  and  if  they  were  beaten  they  could  die  the 
death  of  patriots  or  move  away  to  the  unknown  north 
as  their  fathers  had  done  before  them. 

At  this  time  Sekukuni  again  gave  trouble,  but 
Sir  Garnet  Wolseley  with  a  strong  body  of  troops 
and  a  band  of  Swazis  marched  against  him,  in- 
flicted great  damage  upon  his  tribe,  and  brought  the 
chief  himself  a  prisoner  to  Pretoria.  Shortly  after 
this  event  intelligence  reached  the  country  that 
Mr.  Gladstone  had  succeeded  the  earl  of  Beacons- 
field  as  prime  minister  of  England,  and  as  the  new 
premier  when  in  opposition  had  denounced  the 
annexation  as  unjust,  the  farmers  not  unnaturally 
thought  that  he  would  give  them  back  their  inde- 
pendence. For  a  while  therefore  the  agitation  almost 
ceased.  Some  of  the  troops  were  withdrawn  from 
the  territory,  and  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley,  having  been 
relieved  as  commander-in-chief  by  Sir  George  Colley, 
returned  to  Europe. 

As  soon  as  it  was  known,  however,  that  Mr. 
Gladstone  declined  to  withdraw  the  British  flag,  the 
general  discontent  came  to  a  head.  An  attempt  to 
seize  the  waggon  of  a  farmer  who  refused  to  pay 
a  tax  brought  a  number  of  his  friends  to  the  rescue, 
and  the  officials  at  Potchefstroom,  though  supported 
by  a  strong  military  force,  were  openly  set  at  defiance. 
A  great  meeting  took  place  at  Paardekraal,  where 


STRUGGLE  FOR  INDEPENDENCE. 


345 


Krugersdorp  now  stands,  and  after  several  days'  dis- 
cussion it  was  resolved  to  commit  their  cause  to  the 
Almighty  God  and  live  or  die  together  in  a  struggle 
for  independence.  Messrs.  S.  J.  Paul  Kruger,  M.  W. 
Pretorius,  and  Pieter  J.  Joubcrt  were  elected  a 
triumvirate  to  conduct  the  government,  and  the 
volksraad  resumed  its  functions  as  the  supreme 
legislative  power.  It  was  decided  that  Heidelberg 
should  be  the  capital  until  Pretoria  could  be  re- 
covered, and  there,  on  Dingan's  day,  the  1 6th  of 
December  1880,  the  flag  of  the  republic  was  hoisted 
again. 

The  act  certainly  proved  that  the  European  blood 
has  not  degenerated  in  courage  by  removal  to  South 
Africa,  as  many  persons  had  previously  assumed. 
And  here  it  may  be  asked  how  it  was  that  the  same 
men  who  dared  not  face  danger  in  the  commando 
under  President  Burgers  went  through  this  war  for 
independence  with  the  bravery  and  devotion  of 
ancient  Spartans,  yet  afterwards  claimed  no  glory 
for  what  they  had  done.  The  reply  is  short :  religion 
caused  the  change.  In  one  instance  they  believed 
that  the  Almighty  was  against  them  because  their 
leader  was  not  of  the  true  faith,  in  the  other  they 
believed  most  thoroughly  that  the  Almighty  was 
with  them,  guiding  and  strengthening  them  in  the 
unequal  fight.  It  was  this,  and  this  alone,  that 
turned  the  fugitives  from  Stcelpoort  into  the  men 
of  Majuba  hill. 

On  the  same  day  that  the  flag  was  hoisted  the  first 
blood  was  shed.  A  party  of  burghers,  under  Com- 
mandant_Cronje,  went  to  Potchefstroom  to  have  a 


346 


THE  SOUTH  AFRICAN  REPUBLIC. 


proclamation  printed,  and  was  fired  upon  by  the 
soldiers  there,  when  one  of  them  was  badly  wounded. 
Colonel  Winsloe,  who  was  in  command  of  the  soldiers, 
had  a  camp  outside  the  village,  and  had  also  fortified 
the  landdrost's  office  and  some  adjoining  buildings, 
in  which  a  garrison  was  stationed  under  Major  Clarke. 
Commandant  Cronje  returned  the  fire,  and  then  laid 
siege  to  the  buildings  occupied  by  Major  Clarke,  who 
after  holding  out  two  days  was  obliged  to  surrender. 
Colonel  Winsloe  held  the  camp  throughout  the  war, 
and  only  surrendered  it  after  an  armistice  was  entered 
into. 

Disaster  after  disaster  now  attended  the  British 
arms. 

Colonel  Anstruther  was  directed  to  march  from 
Lydenburg  with  two  hundred  and  sixty-four  men  to 
reinforce  the  garrison  of  Pretoria,  and  was  warned 
that  he  might  meet  with  resistance  on  the  way,  but 
having  a  very  poor  opinion  of  the  fighting  powers  of 
the  farmers  he  took  no  precautions  whatever.  On 
the  20th  of  December  he  was  marching  carelessly 
with  a  long  waggon  train,  when  at  Bronkhorst  Spruit, 
thirty-eight  miles  from  Pretoria,  he  suddenly  found 
himself  in  front  of  a  force  of  about  the  same  number 
of  farmers  under  Commandant  Frans  Joubert.  The 
commandant  demanded  that  he  should  proceed  no 
farther,  and  upon  his  replying  that  he  would  go  on,  a 
volley  was  poured  in  by  the  farmers.  The  soldiers 
made  a  very  feeble  resistance,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
so  many  were  disabled  that  the  colonel— who  was 
himself  mortally  wounded — was  obliged  to  surrender. 

From  the  garrisons  in  Natal  Sir  George  Col  ley  now 


BRITISH  DISASTERS. 


347 


collected  a  body  of  rather  over  a  thousand  men,  and 
set  out  to  assist  the  troops  in  the  Transvaal,  who  with 
the  loyalists  were  beleaguered  in  the  various  villages. 
On  learning  of  this  movement,  Commandant-General 
Pieter  Joubert,  who  was  one  of  the  triumvirate,  entered 
Natal  with  a  force  superior  in  number,  and  occupied 
a  strong  position  at  Lang's  Nek,  on  the  road  along 
which  the  British  general  must  march.  On  the  28th 
of  January  1 88 1  Sir  George  Colley  attempted  to  force 
the  passage  of  the  Nek,  but  was  beaten  back  with 
heavy  loss.  He  then  fortified  a  camp  at  Mount  Pros- 
pect, four  miles'  distant,  and  awaited  reinforcements 
which  were  on  the  way  from  England. 

On  the  8th  of  February  with  nearly  three  hundred 
men  General  Colley  left  his  camp  to  patrol  the  road 
towards  Newcastle,  and  near  the  Ingogo  river  was 
drawn  into  an  engagement  with  a  body  of  farmers 
under  Commandant  Nicolaas  Smit.  Up  to  dusk 
neither  side  could  claim  victory,  but  when  night  fell 
the  remnant  of  the  English  patrol  returned  to  camp 
in  a  heavy  fall  of  rain,  leaving  two-thirds  of  those  who 
went  out  in  the  morning  dead  and  wounded  on  the 
field. 

In  the  three  engagements  here  mentioned  the 
British  loss  was  about  six  hundred  men,  nearly  half 
of  whom  were  killed.  The  farmers  had  seventeen 
men  killed  and  twenty-eight  wounded.  Military 
critics  attribute  the  difference  largely  to  steady  aim 
and  skill  in  shooting  on  one  side,  the  farmers  attribute 
it  entirely  to  the  working  of  Providence  in  their 
favour. 

The  crowning  disaster  was  yet  to  come.  During 


348 


THE  SOUTH  AFRICAN  REPUBLIC. 


the  night  of  the  26th  of  February  General  Colley  left 
his  camp  with  six  hundred  men,  and  climbed  to  the 
top  of  Majuba  hill,  posting  two  pickets  on  the  way. 
From  this  position  he  hoped  to  command  the  farmers' 
camp  at  the  Nek  two  thousand  feet  below,  and  when 
at  dawn  on  the  next  morning  Commandant-General 
Joubert  observed  the  soldiers  on  the  crest  above  him, 
he  at  once  realised  the  danger.  Some  hundred  and 
fifty  volunteers  now  offered  to  try  to  take  the  hill,  and 
actually  made  their  way  up  in  face  of  the  superior 
force  above,  the  bullets  passing  over  them  as  if  they 
were  charmed.  A  little  before  noon  Commandant 
Nicolaas  Smit  with  seventy  or  eighty  men  reached 
the  crest,  and  then  the  soldiers  were  seized  with  a 
panic  and  fled.  Ninety-two  killed,  one  hundred  and 
thirty-four  wounded,  and  fifty-nine  prisoners  repre- 
sented the  British  loss  that  day,  against  one  man 
killed  and  five  wounded  on  the  farmers'  side.  General 
Colley  himself  was  among  the  slain. 

In  the  meantime  the  soldiers  and  British  adherents 
in  the  Transvaal  villages  were  closely  besieged,  and  a 
good  many  lives  were  lost  in  sorties  and  skirmishes, 
but  none  were  reduced  to  surrender. 

After  Sir  George  Colley's  death,  Sir  Evelyn  Wood 
took  command  of  the  English  forces,  and  as  troops 
were  fast  arriving  in  Natal,  he  soon  found  himself  at 
the  head  of  twelve  thousand  men.  But  now  came 
instructions  from  the  imperial  government  not  to 
advance,  and  on  the  5th  of  March  an  armistice  was 
concluded  between  the  general  and  the  triumvirate. 
This  led  to  the  arrangement  of  terms  of  peace  and 
the  restoration  of  independence  to  the  republic.  The 


RICH  GOLDFIELDS. 


349 


territory  occupied  by  the  Swazis  was  cut  out,  how- 
ever, and  on  the  other  side  the  Keate  award  line  was 
made  the  boundary  until  by  some  modifications  of  a 
later  date  that  border  was  extended  nearly  to  the 
great  western  trade  route  to  the  interior  of  the  conti- 
nent. 

Four  years  after  the  re-establishment  of  the  republic 
very  extensive  and  rich  goldfields  were  discovered  in 
the  district  of  Lydenburg,  and  a  little  later  in  the 
highland  that  forms  the  watershed  between  the  Vaal 
and  Limpopo  rivers.  Long  before  that  time  gold 
mines  were  worked  in  different  parts  of  the  territory, 
but  the  metal  produced  was  not  sufficient  to  attract 
the  attention  of  the  outside  world.  People  now 
began  to  migrate  to  the  fields  from  all  parts  of  South 
Africa,  and  shortly  from  Europe  as  well.  A  town, 
named  Barberton,  was  built  in  the  centre  of  the 
eastern  mines,  and  for  some  months  it  was  the  busiest 
place  in  the  country,  but  most  of  its  inhabitants  then 
removed  to  the  more  important  fields  of  Witwaters- 
rand.  Here  the  city  of  Johannesburg  arose,  almost 
as  by  magic,  with  streets  of  handsome  and  substantial 
buildings  and  all  the  appliances  of  modern  times. 

The  production  of  gold  has  gone  on  increasing 
year  after  year,  until  in  the  twelvemonth  that  ended 
in  June  1893  the  quantity  exported  was  worth  nearly 
four  and  a  half  million  pounds  sterling.  New  fields 
are  continually  being  opened,  and  though  most  of 
them  prove  too  poor  to  cover  the  expense  of  working, 
it  is  very  unlikely  that  all  that  are  payable  Jiave 
already  been  found. 

The  republic  possesses  also  iron  in  the  greatest 


350 


THE  SOUTH  AFRICAN  REPUBLIC. 


abundance,  coal  of  good  quality  and  practically 
limitless  in  quantity,  silver,  copper,  lead,  and  several 
other  minerals  which  will  certainly  be  turned  to 
account  at  no  distant  date. 

The  great  majority  of  the  people  engaged  in  the 
mining  industry  are  English  speakers,  while  the 
farming  population  speak  Dutch.  The  intercourse 
between  them  is  upon  the  whole  friendly,  and  each 
section  certainly  exercises  considerable  influence  upon 
the  other.  In  the  legislature,  however,  the  English- 
speaking  section  is  almost  powerless,  and  taxation 
is  arranged  so  as  to  fall  lightly  upon  agriculture.  In 
other  respects  no  one  has  anything  to  complain  of. 
The  farmers,  who  acted  as  one  man  in  the  war  of 
independence,  are  now  divided  as  before  into  opposing 
church  factions,  which  keep  the  country  in  a  state  of 
unrest. 

After  the  discovery  of  gold  the  revenue  of  the 
republic  rose  by  leaps  and  bounds,  and  public  works 
could  be  undertaken  that  were  undreamed  of  before. 
Many  new  villages  have  been  laid  out,  and  some  of 
the  buildings  in  them  are  among  the  best  in  South 
Africa.  Telegraphs  have  been  constructed,  rivers 
have  been  bridged,  and  waggon  roads  have  been 
made,  though,  of  course,  a  great  deal  still  remains  to 
be  done  in  regard  to  all  these  matters.  A  system  of 
state-aided  schools  has  been  established, butas  instruc- 
tion through  the  medium  of  the  Dutch  language  is 
greatly  favoured,  private  schools  in  which  English  is 
used  are  much  more  largely  attended  in  the  towns 
and  villages.  The  farmers,  who  control  the  govern- 
ment, are  afraid  to  encourage  the  use  of  the  English 


RAILWA  YS. 


351 


language,  or  to  modify  the  franchise  so  that  English- 
men after  a  short  residence  might  have  electoral 
rights,  lest  their  independence  should  be  imperilled. 
The  theory  upon  which  they  act  is  that  while  the 
country  is  the  home  of  themselves  and  their  children, 
English  people  only  visit  it  to  make  money,  and  when 
they  have  accumulated  sufficient  wealth  return  to 
Europe. 

A  railway  will  shortly  be  completed  from  Pretoria 
to  Delagoa  Bay,  with  a  branch  line  to  Barberton.  It 
is  being  constructed  by  a  company  called  the  Nether- 
lands South  African,  which  is  aided  by  the  Portuguese 
and  republican  governments.  A  line  from  Pretoria  to 
Vereeniging  on  the  Vaal  river,  passing  Johannesburg, 
is  now  open,  having  been  constructed  by  the  Nether- 
lands South  African  Company  with  assistance  from 
the  Cape  government.  At  Vereeniging  it  is  con- 
nected with  the  great  trunk  line  through  the  Orange 
Free  State,  which  branches  off  to  the  three  chief  ports 
of  the  Cape  Colony.  From  Krugersdorp  there  is  a 
railway  through  Johannesburg  to  the  Springs,  passing 
over  a  great  coal  mine  which  supplies  fuel  to  the  city 
and  to  the  quartz-crushing  machinery  along  a  route 
of  fifty-four  miles. 

The  republic  is  not  within  the  customs  union  of 
South  Africa.  The  public  debt  is  about  six  million 
pounds  sterling. 

The  country  is  governed  by  a  president,  who  is 
elected  for  five  years.  Since  the  restoration  of  inde- 
pendence Mr.  Paul  Kruger  has  uninterruptedly  filled 
the  office.  He  is  aided  by  an  executive  council,  which 
consists  of  three  heads  of  departments  and  two  non- 


352  THE  SOUTH  AFRICAN  REPUBLIC. 


official  members  appointed  by  the  first  volksraad. 
For  military  purposes  a  commandant-general  is 
elected  by  the  burghers  every  ten  years. 

The  legislative  power  is  vested  in  two  chambers, 
each  consisting  of  twenty-four  members,  elected  for 
four  years.  The  first  volksraad  is  by  far  the  more 
important  of  the  two.  Its  members  are  elected  by 
burghers  of  European  blood,  born  in  the  republic  or 
naturalised  after  a  residence  of  five  years.  The  second 
volksraad  has  very  little  power,  being  intended  chiefly 
as  an  advising  body  in  matters  connected  with  the 
mining  industry.  Its  constituency  is  somewhat  larger 
than  that  of  the  first  volksraad,  as  foreigners  can 
make  themselves  eligible  to  vote  after  a  residence  of 
two  years. 

According  to  the  census  of  1890,  which  was  very 
incomplete,  the  white  population  of  the  South  African 
Republic  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  nineteen 
thousand  souls.  It  is  now  probably  not  below  one 
hundred  and  thirty  thousand.  The  Bantu  are  sup- 
posed to  number  fully  six  hundred  and  fifty  thousand. 


XXVII. 


DEPENDENCIES  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 

During  recent  years  the  greater  portion  of  the 
territory  between  the  Indwe  and  Kei  rivers  on  one 
side  and  Natal  on  the  other  has  been  annexed  to 
the  Cape  Colony,  but  in  some  respects  it  is  regarded 
as  a  dependency  rather  than  as  an  integral  part. 

It  is  a  very  beautiful  and  fertile  tract  of  land, 
resembling  Natal  in  appearance,  though  the  tem- 
perature along  the  coast  is  not  quite  so  high.  On 
the  elevated  belt  just  below  the  Drakensberg  the 
winter  nights  are  too  cold  to  be  pleasant  to  Bantu, 
and  consequently  no  one  except  Bushmen  resided 
there  permanently  until  quite  recently.  There  are 
some  fine  forests  on  the  lower  terraces.  The  rain- 
fall is  abundant,  and  the  drainage  perfect,  the  rivers 
on  account  of  their  great  fall  speedily  carrying  off 
all  superfluous  moisture.  The  climate  is  therefore 
exceedingly  healthy,  though  the  grass  is  so  rich  and 
other  vegetation  so  luxuriant  that  had  the  country 
been  nearly  level  fever  would  certainly  be  endemic. 

South  Africa  abounds  in  waterfalls.  The  most: 
celebrated  of  these  are  the  great  falls  of  the  Orange, 

24  353 


SOUTH  AFRICAN  BOULDER. 


TRANSKEIAN  TERRITORY. 


355 


the  Tugela's  leap  of  sixteen  hundred  feet  over  the 
face  of  the  Drakensberg,  and  the  fall  of  the  Umgeni 
a  few  miles  from  Maritzburg,  but  perhaps  the  most 
imposing  is  in  the  Tsitsa,  in  the  territory  now  being 
treated  of.  Ordinarily  the  stream  tumbles  over  the 
precipice  in  three  or  four  rills,  but  in  times  of  flood 
a  volume  of  water  from  four  to  five  hundred  feet 
wide  drops  nearly  four  hundred  feet  into  a  narrow 
chasm. 

When  white  men  first  visited  this  territory,  more 
than  two  centuries  ago,  four  tribes  were  found 
occupying  it  :  the  Pondos,  the  Pondomisis,  the 
Tembus,  and  the  Kosas.  All  are  there  at  the 
present  day,  and  the  fragments  of  many  others 
as  well.  The  Pondos  are  still  independent,  but 
during  recent  years  the  whole  of  the  people  outside 
the  boundary  line  assigned  to  that  tribe  have  come 
under  British  authority. 

In  1858,  after  the  destruction  of  their  cattle  and 
grain  by  the  Kosas,  Kreli  and  his  people  were 
driven  over  the  Bashee  by  a  body  of  the  colonial 
armed  and  mounted  police.  A  few  hundred  Fingos 
and  some  Kosas  who  professed  to  be  attached  to  the 
British  government  were  then  located  in  the  district 
of  Idutywa,  part  of  the  vacant  territory,  and  an 
English  official  was  stationed  there  to  preserve 
order  among  them.  The  rest  of  the  old  Kosa 
country  continued  to  be  without  inhabitants  until 
1864,  when  Sir  Philip  Wodehouse  believed  it 
necessary  to  strengthen  the  European  clement  of 
the  population  west  of  the  Kei,  as  the  military 
force  on  the  border  was  being  reduced.    He  there- 


35^       DEPENDENCIES  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 


fore  resolved  to  make  room  for  farmers  by  inducing 
some  of  the  Bantu  to  move  eastward. 

The  first  step  taken  was  an  attempt  to  turn  Kreli 
from  an  enemy  into  a  friend,  and  with  this  view  he 
was  offered  the  districts  of  Kentani  and  Willowvale, 
with  a  pension  of  ^"ioo  a  year  as  long  as  he  should 
behave  himself  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  governor. 
The  chief  joyfully  accepted  the  offer,  and  immediately 
moved  in  with  his  people.  The  first  clan  in  the 
colony  to  whom  an  exchange  of  ground  was  proposed 
declined  to  move  ;  but  some  of  the  Tembus  of  Glen 
Grey  and  of  the  Fingos  west  of  the  Keiskama  con- 
sented. The  former  received  the  districts  of  Kalanga 
and  St.  Mark's,  the  latter  the  districts  of  Tsomo, 
Nkamakwe,  and  Butterworth. 

Thus  the  whole  of  the  land  east  of  the  Indwe  and 
the  Kei  was  again  occupied  by  a  Bantu  population. 
British  officials  were  stationed  with  all  these  people, 
but  as  the  imperial  government  would  not  permit  the 
territory  to  be  formally  annexed,  they  were  really 
only  diplomatic  agents.  Sir  Philip  Wodehouse's 
object  in  removing  these  Bantu  was  entirely  frus- 
trated, for  not  a  rood  of  ground  was  obtained  by 
the  measure  for  Europeans.  The  Tembus  and  the 
Fingos  in  the  colony  simply  threw  off  swarms,  but 
took  care  not  to  abandon  any  part  of  their  locations. 

The  main  branch  of  the  Tembu  tribe  lived  between 
the  Bashee  and  Umtata  rivers.  After  1863  its  chief 
was  a  man  named  Gangelizwe,  ordinarily  a  gentle- 
looking  and  soft-speaking  individual,  but  subject  to 
outbursts  of  violent  passion.  His  great  wife  was  a 
daughter  of  the  Kosa  chief  Kreli,  and  his  treatment 


TRA X S KE IAN  TERRITORY. 


357 


of  her  was  at  times  so  inhuman  that  her  father  was 
exasperated  to  the  last  degree.  There  was  an  old 
feud  between  the  Tembus  and  the  Pondos,  so  that 
Gangelizwe  had  an  enemy  on  the  other  side  also. 
In  1875,  in  a  mad  fit  of  rage,  he  murdered  one  of  his 
concubines,  who  was  an  illegitimate  niece  of  Kreli 
and  an  attendant  upon  the  great  wife.  His  enemies 
on  all  sides  were  now  ready  to  fall  upon  him,  and  as 
his  tribe  contained  many  fragments  of  others  whose 
fidelity  could  not  be  depended  upon  in  such  a  quarrel, 
the  chief  himself  and  his  councillors  requested  British 
protection  and  offered  to  become  subjects  of  the 
queen.  To  prevent  a  disturbance  on  the  border 
the  high  commissioner  consented,  and  in  1875  the 
districts  of  Slang  River,  Engcobo,  Umtata,  and 
Mkanduli  were  added  to  the  empire  in  the  same 
loose  way  as  those  previously  mentioned. 

Living  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Bashee  river, 
close  to  the  coast,  was  a  clan  called  the  Bomvana, 
the  fugitive  remnant  of  a  tribe  destroyed  in  the 
early  Zulu  wars.  This  clan  was  nominally  attached 
to  the  Kosa  tribe,  but  it  did  not  destroy  its  substance 
in  1857,  and  was  consequently  able  to  give  shelter  to 
Kreli  when  he  was  driven  over  the  Bashee  in  the 
following  year.  From  that  time  it  was  really  in- 
dependent, and  remained  so  until  1878.  Then  the 
country  around  was  involved  in  a  war  yet  to  be 
referred  to,  and  Moni,  the  chief  of  the  Bomvanas, 
who  was  too  weak  to  maintain  neutrality,  applied 
to  be  received  as  a  British  subject.  The  high 
commissioner  accepted  his  offer,  and  took  possession 
of  the  district  of  Elliotdale,  thus  bringing  the  whole 


35$       DEPENDENCIES  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 


country  between  the  colonial  border  and  the  Umtata 
river  more  or  less  authoritatively  under*  the  British 
flag. 

It  was  regarded  as  being  under  the  protection  and 
control  of  the  high  commissioner  as  representing  the 
empire,  and  no  part  of  it  was  made  subject  to  the 
Cape  Colony  until  1879,  when  the  districts  of  Idutywa, 
Tsomo,  Nkamakwe,  and  Butterworth  were  formally 
annexed.  The  districts  of  Kentani,  Willowvale, 
Kalanga,  St.  Mark's,  Slang  River,  Engcobo,  Umtata, 
Mkanduli,  and  Elliotdale  were  annexed  in  1885. 
It  is  now  under  the  control  of  an  officer  styled  the 
chief  magistrate  of  Transkei  and  Tembuland,  who 
has  thirteen  subordinate  magistrates — that  is  one 
in  each  district — to  assist  him. 

The  whole  of  the  territory  between  the  Umtata  and 
Umzimkulu  rivers  was  allotted  to  the  chief  Faku, 
when  in  1844  an  attempt  was  made  to  form  a 
powerful  Pondo  state.  But  that  attempt  was  a 
failure,  for  the  upper  portion  of  the  territory  was 
nearly  uninhabited,  and  the  lower  portion  was 
filled  with  refugee  clans  from  the  north,  some  of 
whom  were  almost  as  strong  as  the  Pondos  them- 
selves. The  country  therefore  continued  to  be  con- 
vulsed with  feuds  and  wars,  and  Faku  at  length 
became  only  too  glad  to  part  with  his  nominal 
right  to  a  portion  of  it  that  he  might  have  a 
chance  of  conquering  and  holding  the  rest. 

Pie  first  ceded  the  land  along  the  coast  between  the 
Umtamvuna  and  Umzimkulu  rivers  to  Natal,  thereby 
getting  rid  of  a  number  of  his  opponents,  and  then  in 
1 861  he  offered  to  the  Cape  government  nearly  two- 


TRANSKEIAN  TERRITORY. 


359 


thirds  of  the  remainder.  The  line  which  he  proposed 
cut  off  the  Pondomisis,  the  Bacas,  the  Hlangwenis, 
and  some  others  of  less  note,  whom  he  desired  to 
place  under  such  control  that  they  could  not  molest 
him  while  he  subjugated  the  enemies  that  would  be 
left  on  his  side.  His  offer  was  not  at  once  accepted, 
but  thereafter  the  country  north  of  the  proposed  line 
was  not  regarded  as  part  of  Pondoland.  Shortly 
afterwards  Sir  George  Grey  gave  a  large  portion  of 
the  unoccupied  ground  in  it  to  Adam  Kok's  Griquas, 
who  thereupon  migrated  from  the  Orange  Free  State. 
From  them  the  country  became  known  as  Griqualand 
East.  Later,  some  Basuto,  Batlokua,  and  Fingo  clans 
moved  into  it  during  the  last  war  between  the  Free 
State  and  Moshesh. 

Constant  inter-tribal  quarrels  at  length  induced  the 
high  commissioner  to  interfere,  as  nearly  all  the  chiefs 
declared  their  readiness  to  place  themselves  under 
British  authority.  In  1873  an  officer  with  the  title  of 
resident  was  sent  into  the  country,  and  the  districts 
of  Maclear,  Mount  Fletcher,  Tsolo,  and  Kumbu — the 
last  two  occupied  by  the  Pondomisi  tribe — were 
taken  over.  In  the  following  year  the  districts  of 
Matatiele,  Kokstad,  and  Umzimkulu,  with  Adam 
Kok's  consent,  were  also  taken  over,  as  was  in  1876 
the  district  of  Mount  Frere,  with  the  consent  of  the 
Baca  chief.  These  eight  districts  comprise  the  whole 
of  the  territory  north  of  the  line  proposed  by  Faku. 
In  1879  they  were  formally  annexed  to  the  Cape 
Colony.  In  1886  the  district  of  Mount  Ayliff,  occu- 
pied by  the  Kcsibe  clan,  was  also  annexed.  It  is 
south  of  Faku's  line,  but  it  became  a  necessity  either 


360       DEPENDENCIES  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 


to  take  over  the  Kesibes,  or  to  stand  by  and  see  a 
brave  little  clan  massacred  by  the  Pondos.  The  nine 
districts  are  under  the  charge  of  an  officer  styled  the 
chief  magistrate  of  Griqualand  East,  and  under  his 
supervision  each  district  has  its  own  resident 
magistrate. 

The  Bantu  in  these  dependencies  have  given  very 
little  trouble  during  recent  years,  but  there  were  some 
serious  disturbances  before  they  became  accustomed 
to  European  guidance. 

On  the  3rd  of  August  1877  there  was  a  marriage 
at  a  Fingo  kraal  just  within  the  Butterworth  border, 
and  two  petty  Kosa  captains,  with  a  small  party  of 
attendants,  crossed  over  to  partake  in  the  festivities. 
On  such  occasions  custom  demands  that  all  who  attend 
are  to  be  made  welcome.  In  the  evening,  when  the 
guests  were  excited  with  dancing  and  drinking  millet 
beer,  a  quarrel  arose,  no  one  afterwards  was  able 
to  tell  exactly  how  or  why.  At  any  rate  the  Kosas 
were  ranged  on  one  side  and  the  Fingos  on  the  other, 
and  they  used  their  sticks  so  freely  that  the  two 
captains  were  badly  bruised  and  one  of  their  attend- 
ants was  killed.  The  visitors  were  then  driven  over 
the  border. 

Strong  bands  of  Kosas  immediately  mustered  to 
avenge  the  insult  offered  to  their  friends,  and  began 
to  sweep  off  the  Fingos'  cattle.  The  excitement 
on  both  sides  soon  became  so  great  that  the  efforts 
of  the  officials  to  restore  order  were  unavailing.  The 
police  were  sent  to  the  front,  the  colonial  volun- 
teers were  called  out,  and  an  imperial  regiment  of 
the  line  marched  to  the  border.  Several  sharp  actions 


NINTH  KAFFIR  WAR. 


361 


were  fought  with  Kreli's  people,  who  lost  some  seven 
hundred  men,  and  then  suddenly  fled  into  Pondoland. 

In  the  belief  that  the  disturbance  was  over,  the 
volunteers  were  now  permitted  to  go  to  their  homes; 
but  they  were  hardly  disbanded  when  the  Kosas 
returned  and  attacked  the  police.  In  December 
Kiva,  a  relation  of  Kreli,  crossed  the  Kei,  and 
appealed  to  the  Kosas  in  the  colony  to  support  the 
head  of  their  tribe.  Most  of  them,  with  the  chief 
Sandile,  responded  to  the  appeal,  and  the  country 
was  involved  in  the  ninth  Kaffir  war. 

In  February  1878  the  colonial  camp  at  Kentani 
was  attacked  by  about  five  thousand  Kosas,  who 
charged  in  dense  masses,  but  were  mown  down  by 
a  fire  from  heavy  guns.  Both  Kreli  and  Sandile 
were  present  in  the  engagement.  The  principal 
column  was  led  by  the  tribal  priest,  who  had  per- 
formed certain  ceremonies  which  caused  the  warriors 
to  believe  that  they  were  invulnerable  ;  but  this 
feeling  of  confidence  being  destroyed,  they  gave 
way  to  despair.  When  they  broke  and  fled,  the 
volunteer  cavalry  and  the  Fingos  pursued  and  pre- 
vented them  from  rallying. 

As  far  as  Kreli  was  concerned  the  battle  of  Kentani 
was  a  decisive  one.  He  did  not  attempt  any  further 
resistance,  but  with  his  adherents  at  once  crossed 
the  Bashee.  After  the  conclusion  of  peace  a  small 
location  was  assigned  to  him  in  Flliotdale,  and  there 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

W  est  of  the  Kei  the  Kosas  held  out  for  many 
months,  but  at  length  Sandile  was  killed  in  action, 
and  they  then  submitted. 


362       DEPENDENCIES  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 


In  October  1880,  just  after  the  Basuto  tribe  rose 
in  rebellion,  the  Pondomisis,  the  Basuto  clans  in 
Griqualand  East,  and  several  clans  attached  to  the 
Tembu  tribe  rose  also  against  the  Europeans.  They 
committed  some  atrocious  murders  and  destroyed 
much  property,  but  within  four  months  they  were 
completely  subdued  by  a  combined  force  of  burghers 
and  rival  Bantu. 

The  two  chief  magistracies  contain  at  present 
about  half  a  million  Bantu  and  barely  ten  thousand 
Europeans.  The  latter  are  government  officials, 
missionaries,  traders,  and  farmers  on  the  highlands 
under  the  Drakensberg  and  on  ground  purchased 
from  Griquas.  The  chiefs  retain  considerable  judicial 
power,  are  regarded  as  officials,  and  are  in  receipt  of 
salaries,  for  it  would  be  useless  to  attempt  to  govern 
the  people  if  they  were  ignored.  Regulations  for 
the  conduct  of  affairs  are  made  by  the  governor  in 
council,  and  when  published  become  law.  No  statutes 
of  the  Cape  parliament  have  force  in  the  chief  magis- 
tracies unless  they  are  specially  applied  by  pro- 
clamation of  the  governor  in  council.  Bantu  law  is 
administered  by  the  magistrates  except  when  Euro- 
peans are  concerned,  but  persons  charged  with  the 
commission  of  serious  crimes  are  tried  before  a  judge 
on  circuit  according  to  the  colonial  laws.  The  only 
direct  tax  paid  is  one  of  ten  shillings  a  year  on  each 
hut,  which  brings  in  sufficient  to  defray  the  ordinary 
cost  of  government,  including  a  considerable  sum 
expended  on  mission  schools.  A  strong  police  force 
is  needed,  but  against  that  expenditure  may  be  set 
trading  licenses  and  the  customs  duties  on  goods  sold. 


port  st.  John's. 


363 


The  rate  of  increase  of  the  population  is  amazing 
now  that  all  the  checks  that  kept  it  in  bounds  in 
ancient  times  have  been  removed.  As  far  as  can  be 
ascertained,  there  is  nothing  like  it  out  of  South 
Africa.  The  food  of  the  people  consists  of  maize 
or  millet,  with  pumpkins,  sweet  cane,  curdled  milk, 
and  occasionally  flesh  plainly  cooked.  This  simple 
diet,  with  living  mostly  in  the  open  air,  tends  to  keep 
them  in  robust  health,  and  every  girl  becomes  a  wife 
and  with  rare  exceptions  a  mother. 

The  port  of  St.  John's,  nearly  in  the  centre  of  the 
coast  of  Pondoland,  is  another  dependency  of  the 
Cape  Colony.  It  consists  of  the  mouth  and  tidal 
estuary  of  the  Umzimvubu  river,  with  a  strip  of  land 
about  sixteen  square  miles  in  extent  on  the  western 
side  above  the  sea,  and  was  purchased  in  1878  from 
a  Pondo  chief.  There  are  other  places  along  the 
coast  where  boats  can  effect  a  landing  in  fine  weather, 
but  Port  St.  John's  is  the  only  one  worthy  of  the 
name  of  harbour  between  East  London  and  Durban. 
It  is  at  present  little  used,  but  may  some  day 
become  of  value.  A  magistrate  is  stationed  here, 
and  there  is  a  population  of  nearly  three  hundred 
souls. 

Pondoland — which  completes  the  territory  south  of 
Natal — remains  under  the  government  of  its  own 
chiefs,  but  the  coast  is  under  British  protection.  The 
country  is  constantly  convulsed  with  quarrels  between 
the  clans,  many  of  which  are  alien  in  blood  to  the 
Pondo  tribe. 

Along  the  coast  of  Great  Namaqualand  there  are 
several  rocky  islets  upon  which  seabirds  congregate 


364       DEPENDENCIES  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 


in  vast  flocks,  and  as  there  is  hardly  any  rainfall  in 
that  region  the  guano  is  of  considerable  value.  These 
islets  became  dependencies  of  the  Cape  Colony  many 
years  ago.  Their  only  inhabitants  are  the  men 
employed  to  gather  the  guano. 

Farther  north  on  the  same  coast  is  Walfish  Bay, 
the  only  port  through  which  access  can  be  had  to 
Great  Namaqualand  and  Damaraland.  The  country 
around  is  a  dreary  waste  of  sand,  and  a  more 
uninviting  spot  can  hardly  be  imagined.  But  on 
account  of  its  strategical  importance  it  was  taken 
in  possession  by  Great  Britain,  and  in  1884  became 
a  dependency  of  the  Cape  Colony.  On  the  little 
strip  of  land  which  was  declared  British  territory 
there  are  living  some  six  or  seven  hundred  Hottentots 
of  a  very  low  type.  The  only  other  inhabitants  are 
the  colonial  magistrate  with  his  staff  of  police,  a 
missionary  family,  and  a  few  traders  and  forwarders 
of  goods  to  the  interior. 


XXVIII. 


VARIOUS    TERRITORIES    NOT  ALREADY  DESCRIBED. 

BRITISH  BECHU AN ALAND. 

The  Keate  award  was  hardly  delivered  when  the 
clans  cut  off  by  it  from  the  South  African  Republic 
began  to  quarrel  with  each  other,  and  their  feuds 
continued  with  hardly  any  intermission  until  the 
British  flag  was  hoisted  at  Pretoria.  Then  for  a 
time  there  was  comparative  order,  because  the 
Transvaal  authorities  favoured  the  strongest  chiefs 
and  the  military  force  in  the  country  commanded 
respect. 

When  the  republic  was  restored  the  old  quarrels 
began  afresh,  and  soon  became  more  bitter  than 
ever.  Some  of  the  chiefs  now  professed  strong 
attachment  to  Great  Britain,  and  as  a  matter  of 
course  their  rivals  professed  equally  strong  attach- 
ment to  the  government  of  the  farmers.  Until  we 
get  to  know  these  people  thoroughly  our  national 
vanity  leads  us  to  believe  that  they  all  have  a  high 
regard  for  English  justice  and  English  benevolence, 
and  it  is  with  something  like  a  shock  that  the  truth 
bursts  upon  us  that  it  is  only  English  power  for 

365 


366     TERRITORIES  NOT  ALREADY  DESCRIBED. 


which  they  have  any  respect.  Why  should  they 
like  us  better  than  other  people  ?  We  do  as  much — 
even  more — to  destroy  their  national  customs  and 
even-thing  else  that  the)'  hold  dear.  How  is  it 
possible,  then,  that  the)'  can  love  us  ?  They  cer- 
tainly respect  strength,  and  they  are  always  ready 
to  profess  attachment  to  that  party  which  can  give 
most.  But  in  cases  like  that  of  the  Bechuana  tribes, 
if  one  chief  declares  himself  a  friend  of  the  republic, 
his  rival  will  most  certainly  announce  himself  as  the 
devoted  adherent  of  the  queen. 

At  this  stage  a  European  renegade  suggested  to 
the  chief  with  whom  he  was  living  that  white  men 
should  be  enlisted  to  fight  for  him,  and  as  a  result 
volunteers  were  called  for,  each  to  receive  a  farm  in 
payment  when  the  war  was  over.  The  other  side 
adopted  the  same  course,  so  that  bodies  of  Europeans 
— decidedly  of  the  vagabond  type,  however — were 
apparently  pitted  against  each  other  in  a  cause  that 
did  not  concern  them  in  the  least.  In  reality  there 
was  no  fear  of  such  combatants  shedding  each  other's 
blood,  except  when  an  individual  made  himself  par- 
ticularly obnoxious  ;  but  it  soon  became  a  certainty 
that  unless  some  power  intervened  the  volunteers 
would  divide  the  best  part  of  the  country  among 
them  and  leave  little  worth  having  for  their  em- 
ployers. 

The  western  border  of  the  South  African  Republic 
was  the  base  of  operations  on  one  side,  and  President 
Kruger's  government  made  little  or  no  effort  to  pre- 
vent its  being  so  used.  The  burghers  of  that  state 
would  not  put  themselves  to  trouble  to  protect  clans 


BRITISH  BECHU  AN  ALAND. 


36/ 


that  had  thrown  off  their  authority,  and  they  had 
also  an  excuse  that  volunteers  for  the  other  side 
were  enlisted  at  the  diamond  fields — on  British  soil 
— with  hardly  a  show  of  secrecy.  This  implication  in 
the  disturbances  caused  people  in  England  to  regard 
the  republic  as  being  at  the  bottom  of  the  whole 
matter,  and  public  opinion  supported  the  government 
in  sending  out  a  strong  military  force  under  Sir 
Charles  Warren  to  protect  the  clans  from  being 
despoiled. 

Meanwhile  the  volunteers — or  freebooters — had 
taken  possession  of  two  considerable  tracts  of  ground, 
and  set  up  an  independent  government  on  each.  One 
was  termed  the  republic  of  Stellaland,  the  other  the 
land  of  Goshen.  When  Sir  Charles  Warren  ap- 
proached, the  people  of  Goshen,  instead  of  preparing 
to  resist,  dispersed  to  other  parts  of  South  Africa, 
and  the  people  of  Stellaland  submitted,  so  that  there 
was  no  necessity  to  fire  a  shot  in  anger. 

The  expedition,  though  it  had  not  to  fight,  was  of 
the  utmost  service  to  British  interests  in  the  country. 
It  restored  the  imperial  prestige,  which  had  suffered 
so  greatly  a  few  years  before,  and  it  secured  an  open 
highway  to  the  interior  of  the  continent.  In  Sep- 
tember 1885  the  territory  which  had  been  the 
scene  of  the  disturbances  was  taken  under  British 
sovereignty.  The  original  boundaries  have  since 
been  enlarged,  and  are  now  the  South  African 
Republic  on  the  east,  the  twentieth  meridian  from 
Greenwich  on  the  west,  the  Molopo  river  and 
Ramathlabama  Spruit  on  the  north,  and  the  Cape 
Colony  on  the  south.     It  forms  a  crown  colon)-, 


368     TERRITORIES  NOT  ALREADY  DESCRIBED. 


governed  by  a  local  administrator  under  her  Majesty's 
high  commissioner,  and  is  divided  into  five  magis- 
terial districts:  Mafeking,  Vryburg,  Taung,  Kuruman, 
and  Gordonia. 

The  best  of  the  land  was  set  apart  as  reserves  for 
the  Bechuana  clans,  but  there  are  large  tracts  occupied 
by  European  farmers,  and  a  great  extent  of  ground 
is  still  open.  It  is  well  adapted  for  cattle  runs, 
though  agriculture  only  succeeds  in  limited  localities, 
and  in  general  there  is  a  scarcity  of  surface  water. 
No  minerals  of  any  importance  except  salt  have  yet 
been  discovered.  The  climate  is  exceedingly  healthy, 
and  though  the  days  in  midsummer  are  unpleasantly 
warm,  the  nights  are  invariably  cool  and  enjoyable. 

Since  the  establishment  of  British  authority  order 
has  been  observed  as  well  as  in  any  part  of  the 
world.  At  present  there  are  over  five  thousand 
Europeans  in  the  province,  and  that  number  is  likely 
to  be  largely  increased  in  the  immediate  future,  when 
some  extensive  blocks  of  farms  are  sold.  Vryburg, 
the  seat  of  government,  is  connected  by  rail  with 
the  ports  of  the  Cape  Colony,  and  the  line  is  now 
being  continued  to  Mafeking,  on  the  northern  border. 
This  is  along  the  great  trade  route  to  the  interior 
of  the  continent,  which  is  thus  entirely  under  the 
British  flag. 

THE  BRITISH  PROTECTORATE. 

The  territory  for  a  considerable  distance  north 
of  British  Bechuanaland  is  under  British  protection, 
which  means  that  all  white  people  living  in  it  are 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  magistrates  appointed  by 


CHARTERED  COMPANY'S  TERRITORY. 


369 


the  high  commissioner,  and  that  the  relationship  of 
the  native  tribes  to  each  other  is  controlled  by  the 
same  authority,  though  the  government  of  the  chiefs 
over  their  own  people  is  not  interfered  with.  Much 
the  greater  portion  of  this  territory  is  without  surface 
water,  and  is  very  thinly  inhabited  by  Bushmen  and 
wandering  Bechuana  who  were  formerly  held  by  the 
clans  at  the  fountains  in  a  condition  of  the  most 
abject  slavery.  Their  circumstances  have  improved 
of  late  years,  but  they  still  lead  lives  of  want  and 
misery,  and  are  largely  subject  to  the  caprice  of 
their  masters.  The  protectorate  is  divided  into  two 
districts,  over  each  of  which  there  is  an  officer 
entitled  an  assistant  commissioner.  Order  is  pre- 
served by  a  strong  police  force  of  mounted  Euro- 
peans. This  territory  and  the  crown  colony  of 
British  Bechuanaland  are  both  within  the  South 
African  customs  union. 

THE  CHARTERED  COMPANY'S  TERRITORY. 

Beyond  the  protectorate  a  vast  territory,  probably 
half  a  million  square  miles  in  extent,  is  being  opened 
up  by  the  British  South  Africa  Company  under  a 
royal  charter  granted  in  1889.  It  is  often  called 
Rhodesia,  after  Mr.  Cecil  J.  Rhodes,  the  present 
premier  of  the  Cape  Colony,  who  was  the  originator 
of  the  Company,  and  is  still  its  chief  manager.  Con- 
cessions have  been  obtained  from  native  chiefs  which 
give  the  Company  proprietary  rights  over  immense 
tracts  of  fertile  land  and  extensive  areas  of  gold- 
bearing  quartz  reefs.  In  some  places  shafts  and 
tunnels  indicate  that  at  an  unknown  period  in  the 

25 


370     TERRITORIES  NOT  ALREADY  DESCRIBED. 


past  the  mines  were  worked,  and  ruins  of  buildings 
far  beyond  the  skill  of  Bantu  to  construct  give 
evidence  that  the  land  was  not  always  occupied 
solely  by  barbarians. 

The  Chartered  Company  was  formed  with  a 
capital  of  a  million  pounds  sterling.  A  strong 
body  of  police  was  sent  into  the  territory  to  con- 
struct and  occupy  forts  in  commanding  positions, 
and  then  immigration  of  Europeans  was  invited. 
An  elevated  plateau  of  great  extent  offers  fruitful 
soil,  a  climate  in  which  white  people  can  enjoy  life, 
and  vacant  ground  waiting  for  settlement. 

It  came  to  be  in  its  present  thinly  inhabited  con- 
dition in  exactly  the  same  manner  as  the  Transvaal 
country  before  1836.  When  Moselekatse  was  driven 
to  the  north  by  the  emigrant  farmers  he  commenced 
to  destroy  the  Makalaka  tribes  just  as  he  had  de- 
stroyed the  Bechuana,  and  Lobengule,  his  son  and 
successor,  continued  the  murderous  practice.  Large 
areas  were  utterly  wasted,  and  the  remnants  of  the 
tribes  retreated  to  the  hills,  where  they  made  their 
kraals  among  rocks  in  places  difficult  of  access. 
These  situations,  if  they  could  not  be  defended, 
offered  facilities  for  escape  when  the  Matabele  bands 
approached  in  their  yearly  raids.  By  those  terrible 
invaders  the  lives  of  the  Makalaka  were  held  in  no 
more  esteem  than  the  lives  of  so  many  antelopes. 
This  was  the  condition  of  the  country  when  the 
first  expeditionary  force  of  the  Chartered  Company 
entered  it  and  built  forts  under  a  concession  from 
Lobengule  himself. 

Naturally  all  the  broken  and  impoverished  clans 


CHARTERED  COMPANY'S  TERRITORY.        37 1 


welcomed  the  white  men,  and  there  will  be  no 
difficulty  in  managing  them  while  the  Matabele 
power  exists.  That  power,  however,  has  within  itself 
the  elements  of  disintegration.  It  consists  of  three 
distinct  castes.  There  are,  first,  the  descendants  of 
the  pure  Zulus  who  came  up  from  the  coast  with 
Moselekatse,  and  who  form  a  kind  of  nobility. 
Secondly,  there  are  the  descendants  of  the  Bechu- 
ana  boys  who  rose  from  bearers  of  burdens  to  be 
soldiers  before  the  flight  from  the  south.  And, 
thirdly,  there  are  the  Makalaka  who  have  been 
incorporated  in  the  same  way.  These  sections  are 
not  thoroughly  fused,  and  the  result  of  pressure, 
either  peaceful  or  warlike,  may  be  to  cause  the 
army  to  crumble  away.  It  is  at  present  about 
twenty  thousand  strong. 

Already  a  great  deal  of  the  preliminary  work  in 
opening  up  the  country  has  been  done.  There  is 
telegraphic  communication  and  a  postal  service 
between  all  the  forts  and  the  Cape  Colony,  and 
a  railway  is  being  constructed  inland  from  Port 
Beira,  which  will  give  easy  access  to  the  north- 
eastern portion,  while  the  south-western  portion 
can  be  reached  without  much  difficulty  from  the 
terminus  of  the  Capetown-Mafeking  line.  Farming 
has  been  tested  with  good  results.  The  limits  of 
the  districts  which  are  healthy  for  Europeans  have 
been  fairly  well  ascertained.  And  many  appliances 
of  modern  times,  including  even  a  printing  press, 
may  be  found  to-day  in  a  region  that  half-a-dozen 
years  ago  was  unknown  except  to  a  few  explorers 
and  hunters. 


372     TERRITORIES  NOT  ALREADY  DESCRIBED. 


The  Chartered  Company's  territory  appears  to 
have  a  brilliant  future  before  it.  There  is  every 
probability  that  its  mineral  wealth  is  enormous.  It 
is  perhaps  the  last  great  open  place  in  the  world 
for  fresh  European  settlement.  But  it  cannot  re- 
main long  in  that  condition.  The  highlands  south- 
ward from  the  Zambesi  must  either  be  occupied 
within  a  few  years  by  civilised  Europeans,  to  the 
gain  of  the  whole  human  race,  or  they  must  revert 
to  barbarians.  The  Chartered  Company  and  the 
Matabele  army  cannot  long  exist  side  by  side.1  The 
last  is  doomed  to  destruction.  Then,  if  Europeans 
are  not  in  possession,  every  little  remnant  of  a  clan 
will  lay  claim  to  vast  areas  as  having  been  the  pro- 
perty of  its  ancestors,  the  now  docile  Mashona  and 
Makalaka  will  become  discontented  plotters,  and 
from  outside  hordes  of  refugees  will  pour  in.  That 
is  the  lesson  which  the  history  of  Natal  and  the  South 
African  Republic  teaches. 

THE  GERMAN  PROTECTORATE. 
In  1884  Germany  commenced  to  secure  a  footing 
on  the  south-western  coast  of  Africa,  and  her  pro- 
tectorate now  extends  from  Cape  Frio  on  the  north 
to  the  Orange  river  on  the  south,  and  from  the 
Atlantic  ocean  on  the  west  to  an  irregular  line 
running  from  the  head  waters  of  the  Zambesi  to 
the  twentieth  meridian  from  Greenwich  on  the  east. 
From  this  vast  territory  must  be  excluded,  however, 
the  only  port  on  the  coast,  Walfish  Bay,  which  with 

1  As  this  is  being  printed,  intelligence  has  reached  England  that 
war  has  been  forced  upon  the  Chartered  Company  by  the  Matabele. 


GERMAN  SPHERE  OF  INFLUENCE. 


373 


a  little  tract  of  land  around  it  belongs  to  the  Cape 
Colony. 

The  southern  part  of  this  region  is  almost  rain- 
less, and  fountains  are  few  in  number,  but  as  one 
goes  northward  the  moisture  increases,  though  no- 
where can  the  land  be  correctly  described  as  capable 
of  supporting  an  agricultural  population.  It  is 
nevertheless  well  adapted  for  cattle-rearing.  Copper 
is  known  to  exist  in  large  quantities,  and  it  is 
generally  believed  that  other  minerals  will  be 
found.  The  population  is  Hottentot  as  far  north  as 
Walfish  Bay,  and  Bantu  beyond.  The  Europeans 
are  chiefly  missionaries  and  traders,  with  a  small 
force  of  German  soldiers  and  a  few  prospectors. 

While  this  is  being  written,  a  war  is  being  waged 
with  a  Hottentot  clan  that  declines  to  acknowledge 
the  German  authorities,  but  with  this  exception  the 
natives  have  as  yet  given  no  trouble. 

THE  PORTUGUESE  POSSESSIONS. 

During  the  early  years  of  the  sixteenth  century 
the  Portuguese  took  possession  of  the  principal 
harbours  on  the  south-eastern  coast  of  Africa,  but 
they  did  not  attempt  to  plant  colonies  behind  them. 
Portugal  was  too  small  and  too  thinly  populated  to 
spare  men  for  such  a  purpose  while  the  Indian 
commerce  was  in  her  hands.  The  magnificent 
harbour  of  Delagoa  Bay  did  not  escape  their  ob- 
servation, and  at  times  they  occupied  a  small  fort 
there,  though  as  very  little  trade  could  be  done  on 
that  part  of  the  coast  they  were  in  the  habit  of 
abandoning  it  occasionally  for  main*  years  together. 


374     TERRITORIES  NOT  ALREADY  DESCRIBED. 


Mozambique  was  used  as  a  resting-place  for  the 
royal  fleets  to  and  from  the  East,  and  on  that 
account  became  a  place  of  importance,  but  the 
other  Portuguese  stations  were  mere  outlying 
trading  posts. 

Under  these  circumstances  there  never  was  a 
well-defined  inland  boundary  of  the  territory  which 
the  Portuguese  held,  nor  was  one  needed,  for  no 
European  power  was  behind  them  as  a  rival.  But 
though  they  planted  no  colonies,  in  the  days  of 
their  glory  and  their  prosperity  they  certainly 
exerted  themselves  greatly  to  open  up  the  country. 
Their  missionaries — chiefly  of  the  Society  of  Jesus 
— penetrated  the  far  interior,  and  sought  to  convert 
the  natives  even  in  the  most  deadly  localities  along 
the  coast.  Their  traders  crossed  the  continent  from 
Angola  to  Mozambique,  and  brought  gold  and  ivory 
and  slaves  to  the  ports  to  be  shipped  to  Brazil  and 
Europe. 

Then  came  Portugal's  decay,  but  the  Dutch,  who 
wrested  India  from  her,  cared  nothing  for  the  East 
African  coast.  They  indeed  occupied  Delagoa  Bay 
for  some  years  in  the  eighteenth  century,  but  nothing 
was  to  be  made  there,  so  they  did  not  remain  long. 
Thus  the  Portuguese  retained  their  old  stations  along 
the  shore,  though  in  a  condition  of  ruin  or  decay, 
and  preserved  a  kind  of  shadowy  claim  to  the  interior 
lands  where  their  missionaries  had  once  lived  and 
their  traders  had  flourished. 

Some  years  after  the  South  African  Republic  was 
established  it  was  mutually  agreed  that  the  Lebombo 
mountains  should   be   the  boundary  between  that 


PORTUGUESE  POSSESSIONS. 


375 


state  and  the  Portuguese  territory.  More  recently 
the  British  Chartered  Company  took  possession  of 
the  interior  plateau  farther  north,  and  a  dispute 
quickly  arose  as  to  the  limit  of  the  Portuguese 
rights.  A  boundary  has  been  agreed  upon,  how- 
ever, though  it  is  not  yet  marked  off.  It  gives  to 
the  Chartered  Company  nearly  the  whole  of  the 
land  adapted  for  European  colonisation,  though  the 
Portuguese  area  looks  large  on  a  map. 

An  attempt  is  now  being  made  to  turn  the  territory 
to  some  account,  and  charters  have  been  granted  by 
the  government  at  Lisbon  to  several  companies  for 
the  purpose.  But  it  is  difficult  to  see  what  can  be 
done  in  a  country  where  fever  is  so  deadly  to 
Europeans  as  it  is  on  the  East  African  coast  belt. 
The  contrast  with  the  opposite  side  of  the  continent 
is  very  great.  The  Atlantic  shore  is  parched  with 
drought,  and  is  consequently  arid  and  treeless,  but 
is  extremely  favourable  to  health.  The  eastern  shore 
has  a  superabundant  rainfall,  so  that  vegetation  is 
luxuriant  and  swamps  abound,  and  where  this  is 
the  case  under  a  burning  sun  white  men  cannot 
thrive. 

From  Delagoa  Bay  a  railway  is  being  constructed 
to  Pretoria,  and  undoubtedly  there  will  be  a  great 
deal  of  traffic  on  it  when  it  is  completed.  In  the  hot 
months,  however,  Lourenco  Marques,  the  town  at  the 
bay,  is  so  unhealthy  that  the  death  rate  of  the  inhabi- 
tants is  about  two  hundred  in  the  thousand  yearly. 
Few  will  care  to  make  a  home  in  such  a  place. 

From  Port  Beira,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Pungwe 
river,  a  railway  is  being  constructed  inland,  which 


376     TERRITORIES  NOT  ALREADY  DESCRIBED. 

will  tap  a  large  portion  of  the  English  Chartered 
Company's  possessions.  But  the  same  cause  which 
is  disastrous  to  the  welfare  of  Lourenco  Marques 
affects  this  place  also,  and  it  is  improbable  that  it  will 
ever  be  more  than  a  station  for  the  transport  of 
goods  and  passengers. 

SWAZILAND. 

This  is  a  tract  of  land  enclosed  on  three  sides  by 
the  South  African  Republic,  and  on  the  fourth  by  the 
Lebombo  mountain  range.  It  contains  valuable  gold- 
fields,  and  is  also  fertile,  well-watered,  and  healthy. 
The  Swazis  have  always  been  regarded  as  one  of  the 
bravest  of  the  Bantu  tribes.  They  were  friends  of  the 
early  emigrant  farmers,  and  have  ever  since  continued 
to  show  good  will  to  all  Europeans.  They  are  sup- 
posed at  present  to  number  from  sixty  to  seventy 
thousand  souls. 

Their  chief,  Umbandine  by  name,  who  died  four 
years  ago,  granted  to  different  white  men  concessions 
of  all  kinds,  to  extract  metals,  to  till  ground,  to  graze 
cattle,  and  a  great  deal  else,  until  there  was  very  little 
left  for  his  own  followers.  This  led  to  a  kind  of 
government  of  the  Europeans  by  a  committee  acting 
with  the  chiefs  approval.  In  1890  the  committee  was 
replaced  by  a  joint  commission  appointed  by  Great 
Britain,  the  South  African  Republic,  and  the  Swazi 
chief,  which  is  now  the  government  of  the(Europcans 
in  the  territory.  Bunu,  successor  of  Umbandine,  rules 
his  own  people  without  any  interference. 


XXIX. 


THE  PRESENT  CONDITION  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY. 

SINCE  the  management  of  its  affairs  has  been  in 
the  hands  of  its  own  people  the  Cape  Colony  has 
made  an  enormous  stride  in  prosperity.  Its  principal 
industries  are  still  pastoral  and  agricultural,  but  these 
are  carried  on  now  in  a  much  better  manner  than 
formerly. 

The  great  Karoo  plains,  thinly  speckled  with 
succulent  plants,  and  the  long  grassy  slope  beyond 
to  the  north  are  covered  with  flocks  of  merino  sheep 
and  Angora  goats,  which  are  kept  up  to  a  high 
standard  by  the  importation  of  the  best  foreign  blood. 
In  these  parts  of  the  colony  agriculture  is  only 
possible  where  there  is  running  water,  but  a  great 
deal  of  labour  has  been  expended  in  making 
reservoirs  from  which  gardens  and  orchards  can  be 
irrigated,  and  recently  much  success  has  attended  the 
sinking  of  artesian  wells. 

On  the  first  and  second  terraces  from  the  southern 
coast  and  in  the  districts  adjoining  the  eastern  border 
the  rainfall  is  ample,  and  agriculture  is  carried  on  con- 
jointly with  cattle-breeding.    Wheat  and  maize  are 

377 


378     PRESENT  CONDITION  OF  CAPE  COLONY. 


the  principal  crops,  but  oats  are  extensively  grown  for 
horses,  and  almost  every  kind  of  vegetable  and  fruit 
is  abundant. 

In  the  south-western  angle  of  the  colony — the  part 
settled  in  the  seventeenth  century — the  cultivation  of 
wheat  and  the  vine  is  carried  on.  Sufficient  wheat, 
indeed  is  not  at  present  grown  for  home  consumption 
and  the  supply  of  shipping,  because  the  farmers  have 
not  been  able  to  keep  pace  with  the  sudden  and 
rapidly  increasing  demand  caused  by  the  mining 
industry  in  the  north  ;  but  there  is  good  reason  to 
believe  that  the  large  importations  of  recent  years 
will  not  continue  much  longer.  The  quality  of  the 
wines  and  spirits  made  has  been  much  improved  of 
late,  though  it  does  not  yet  satisfy  the  English  palate. 

Ostriches  have  been  tamed,  and  their  feathers  form 
an  important  item  in  our  trade  returns.  On  the  other 
hand,  skins  of  wild  animals  have  quite  disappeared, 
for  the  large  game  with  which  the  country  once 
teemed  has  been  exterminated.  Ivory  also  has  greatly 
fallen  off,  and  the  little  that  is  now  exported  is 
brought  from  the  distant  interior  of  the  continent. 

In  1852  rich  copper  mines  were  opened  in  the 
district  of  Namaqualand  and  the  part  of  the  colon)- 
previously  regarded  as  the  least  valuable  has  ever 
since  been  contributing  its  mineral  wealth  to  the 
general  prosperity. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  the  value  of  the  purely 
colonial  products,  but  the  quantity  from  the  whole  of 
South  Africa  exported  in  the  year  that  ended  on  the 
30th  of  June  1893  was  valued  at  a  little  over  thirteen 
and  a  half  million  pounds  sterling,  of  which  twelve 


EXPORTS  OF  SOUTH  AFRICA. 


379 


millions  and  a  quarter  passed  through  the  ports  of  the 
Cape  Colony,  and  one  million  and  a  quarter  through 
Durban,  Natal.  Of  the  items  that  made  up  this 
amount  gold  was  first,  being  valued  at  four  millions 
and  a  half,  and  diamonds  came  next,  being  valued  at 
nearly  four  millions.  The  copper  ore  exported  was 
worth  over  a  quarter  of  a  million,  and  the  coal  over 
£50,000.  These  figures — representing  nearly  two- 
thirds  of  the  total  exports — show  the  importance  of 
the  mining  industry  of  South  Africa,  and  it  must  be 
remembered  that  this  industry  is  only  in  its  infancy. 

Taking  the  remaining  exports  alone  into  consider- 
ation, they  are  now  about  ten  times  as  great  as  in 
1850.  Pastoral  pursuits  are  represented  by  wool,  to 
the  value  of  ,£2,648,000  ;  Angora  hair,  to  the  value  of 
£597>ooo;  hides,  skins,  and  horns,  to  the  value  of 
,£545,000  ;  and  ostrich  feathers,  to  the  value  of 
£491,000. 

Agriculture  contributes  but  little  to  the  exports, 
because  nearly  everything  that  is  grown  is  required 
for  home  consumption.  Still  a  little  fruit  and  grain 
is  sent  abroad.  Wine  to  the  value  of  £18,000  finds 
its  way  out  of  the  country.  Aloes  and  argol  contri- 
bute about  £2,000  each,  Natal  sends  away  bark  for 
tanning  to  the  value  of  £9,000,  and  the  Cape 
Colony  dried  flowers  worth  £21,000.  The  fisheries 
supply  large  quantities  of  food  for  use  in  the  country, 
and  an  export  to  Mauritius  to  the  value  of  £13,000. 
Natal  disposes  of  sugar  to  the  value  of  nearly 
£100,000.  Small  items  of  various  kinds,  which  do 
not  need  special  mention,  make  up  the  balance. 

Altogether  this  means  that  South  Africa  has  a 


380     PRESENT  CONDITION  OP  CAPE  COLONY. 


purchasing  power  at  the  present  time  of  over  thirteen 
millions  sterling  yearly,  less  the  interest  on  the  dif- 
ferent public  debts  and  on  foreign  capital  invested  in 
the  country.  The  bulk  of  the  trade  is  with  Great 
Britain,  and  a  large  proportion  of  it  originates  in  the 
Cape  Colony. 

Excluding  the  dependencies  named  in  the  twenty- 
seventh  chapter,  the  colony  has  now  a  population  of 
three  hundred  and  sixty-six  thousand  Europeans 
and  seven  hundred  and  fifty-five  thousand  coloured 
people.  Of  these  last,  rather  more  than  half  are 
Bantu — Kosas,  Tembus,  and  Fingos, — the  others  are 
mixed  breeds,  Asiatics,  descendants  of  freed  slaves, 
and  Hottentots.  All  are  subject  to  the  same  laws, 
except  in  a  few  particulars  where  it  has  been  found 
necessary  to  make  special  provision  for  Bantu  com- 
munities, such  as  the  recognition  of  communal  tenure 
of  land  in  locations,  the  prohibition  of  the  sale  of 
spirituous  liquors  in  certain  defined  areas,  and  the 
supervision  of  these  people  when  they  live  in  undue 
number  on  farms  owned  by  Europeans. 

Among  the  Bantu  missionaries  of  nearly  every 
Christian  society  have  been  labouring  for  many  years, 
and  two  or  three  generations  have  grown  up  under 
their  care.  The  result  upon  the  whole  is  discouraging 
to  those  who  look  for  high  improvement,  although  a 
considerable  advance  has  been  made  by  a  section  of 
these  people.  Where  youths  have  been  separated 
from  the  surroundings  of  the  kraals,  and  have  been 
trained  in  habits  of  order,  cleanliness,  and — as  far  as 
practicable  —  industry,  the  most  good  has  been 
effected.    In  this  direction  the  Free  Church  of  Scot- 


MISSIONARY  LABOUR. 


381 


land  led  the  way,  and  its  noble  institution  at  Lovedale 
is  now  a  model  which  other  Christian  bodies  are 
copying.  It  has  become  generally  recognised  that 
the  system  of  education  carried  out  by  most  of  the 
missionary  societies  was  faulty.  Their  idea  was  to 
teach  the  children  of  barbarians  to  read  and  write,  to 
give  them  a  knowledge  of  grammar  and  geography, 
of  arithmetic  and  history,  and  especially  to  instruct 
them  in  Christian  doctrine  and  cause  them  to  read 


THE  BOYS'  SCHOOL,  LOVEDALE  MISSIONARY  INSTITUTION. 

the  Holy  Scriptures.  The  government  subsidised 
the  schools,  and  the  rivalry  among  the  different 
denominations  was  so  keen  that  no  location  of  any 
importance  was  lost  sight  of.  And  now,  after  a  vast 
expenditure  of  energy  and  money,  it  is  seen  that 
education  of  this  kind  is  by  itself  of  little  value,  and 
industrial  training  is  coming  to  be  regarded  as  a 
necessity. 

The  mixed  breeds,  descendants  of  slaves,  and 
Hottentots  have  also  been  the  objects  of  missionary 
solicitude,  and  as  they  have  long  been  in  close  con- 


382     PRESENT  CONDITION  OF  CAPE  COLONY. 


tact  with  white  people  their  mode  of  living  is  based 
upon  the  European  model.  Most  of  them  profess 
Christianity.  They  do  the  rough  work  of  the  farms 
and  the  towns,  but  are  in  general  averse  to  steady 
labour,  and  are  thriftless  to  the  last  degree.  The 
instances  are  rare  of  people  of  this  class  accumulating 
property,  though  they  often  have  excellent  oppor- 
tunities for  doing  so. 

The  Asiatics  in  the  colony  are  chiefly  descendants 
of  people  from  the  Spice  islands,  who  were  sent  here 
in  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries,  and  are 
commonly  termed  Malays.  Those  of  pure  blood  are 
almost — if  not  wholly  —  without  exception  Moham- 
medans. But  many  Africans  and  people  of  mixed 
blood  have  adopted  that  creed,  and  as  they  have 
intermarried,  the  Malays  present  every  variety  of 
appearance  between  the  pure  Asiatic,  the  pure  Euro- 
pean, and  the  pure  African,  while  some  fluctuate 
between  Christianity  and  Islam.  They  are  decidedly 
of  a  higher  type  than  the  class  previously  mentioned. 
Many  of  the  men  are  good  mechanics,  and  the  amount 
of  property  that  they  hold  is  considerable.  They  are 
confined  entirely  to  towns.  Some  Indians  from  Hin- 
dostan  have  recently  migrated  to  this  colony,  among 
whom  are  a  few  who  profess  the  Roman  Catholic 
faith. 

Owing  to  the  zeal  of  the  missionaries,  for  many 
years  greater  efforts  were  made  to  give  a  good  school 
education  to  coloured  children  than  to  white,  and  it 
is  a  lamentable  fact  that  there  is  at  present  a  large 
section  of  the  European  rural  population  without  any 
knowledge  of  books.    This  condition  of  things,  how- 


COURTS  OF  JUSTICE. 


383 


ever,  has  attracted  serious  attention  of  late,  and  it 
will  not  be  permitted  to  continue. 

There  is  an  excellent  system  of  public  schools, 
each  under  the  joint  control  of  a  local  board  of 
management  and  the  educational  department  of  the 
government,  half  the  cost  being  defrayed  by  the 
treasury.  Those  of  the  first  and  second  class  are 
attended  almost  exclusively  by  white  children.  Then 
there  are  several  colleges  in  which  higher  education  is 
imparted,  and  numerous  excellent  schools  connected 
with  religious  societies.  The  Cape  Colony  has  further 
a  university,  which  is,  however,  only  an  examining 
body  empowered  to  confer  degrees. 

No  expense  is  spared  to  bring  justice  within  reach 
of  every  one.  There  are  seventy-eight  stipendiary 
magistrates,  holding  courts  in  as  many  districts  into 
which  the  colony  is  divided.  All  petty  civil  and 
criminal  cases  are  tried  by  them.  The  supreme 
court  consists  of  the  chief  justice  and  eight  puisne 
judges,  but  as  two  form  a  quorum,  in  practice  three  ot 
the  judges  sit  in  Grahamstown,  three  in  Kimberley, 
and  the  others  in  Capetown.  Twice  a  year  a  judge 
of  the  supreme  court  visits  each  district  town,  and 
tries  cases  which  are  beyond  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
magistrates. 

The  towns  and  villages  are  supplied  with  public 
libraries  aided  by  government,  hardly  any  are  with- 
out two  or  three  churches  of  different  denominations, 
and  banks,  insurance  offices,  newspapers,  and  benevo- 
lent institutions  are  found  in  nearly  all.  Municipal 
government — in  very  rare  instances  abused — is  in 
force  in  every  community  of  the  slightest  note.  Each 


MODERN  IMPROVEMENTS. 


385 


district  has  a  divisional  council,  with  powers  over  a 
large  area  somewhat  similar  to  those  of  municipal 
councils  in  the  villages. 

Good  roads  have  been  made  even  in  the  wildest  parts 
of  the  colony,  and  the  rivers  on  the  principal  routes 
have  been  bridged.  There  is  scarcely  a  hamlet  that 
is  not  now  connected  with  all  parts  of  South  Africa 
by  the  post  and  the  telegraph  wire.  The  railway 
system  has  been  referred  to  in  other  chapters,  and  a 
glance  at  the  map  at  the  beginning  of  this  volume 
will  show  how  extensive  are  the  open  lines. 

Very  great  improvements  have  been  made  in  the 
harbours,  especially  in  Table  Bay.  Here  in  olden 
times  the  beach,  after  winter  storms,  was  frequently 
strewn  with  the  wrecks  of  costly  fleets,  now  ships  lie 
in  a  dock  in  perfect  safety,  and  a  magnificent  break- 
water protects  the  outer  anchorage.  The  cost  of 
these  works,  including  a  dry  dock  capable  of  contain- 
ing a  steamer  of  the  first  class,  was  nearly  a  million 
and  a  half  pounds  sterling. 

On  the  coast  numerous  lighthouses  stand  as  sen- 
tinels to  warn  seamen  of  danger  by  night,  and  the 
ancient  terror  of  stormy  seas  off  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  has  long  since  been  forgotten.  It  arose  more 
from  distance  from  home  in  the  early  days  of  circum- 
navigating Africa  than  from  the  real  violence  of  the 
sea,  for  that  is  commonly  trifling  compared  with  the 
fury  of  the  North  Atlantic. 

The  colony  is  connected  with  Europe  by  two  sub- 
marine cables,  so  that  anything  of  importance  that 
occurs  there  one  day  is  known  here  through  the  news- 
papers on  the  next.    Splendid  steamships  carrying 

26 


386      PRESENT  CONDITION  OF  CAPE  COLONY. 

mails  and  passengers  arrive  from  and  leave  for  Eng- 
land weekly,  often  making  the  run  of  six  thousand 
miles  in  less  than  fifteen  days,  and  the  passage  is 
certainly  one  of  the  pleasantest  in  the  world. 

Against  the  material  prosperity  which  the  colony 
has  attained  within  the  last  forty  years  must  be 
placed  a  public  debt  of  rather  over  twenty-six  million 
pounds  sterling,  or  about  £71  per  individual  colonist, 
if  the  coloured  inhabitants  are  excluded.  That  rate 
per  head,  however,  must  be  reduced  by  taking  into 
account  that  the  coloured  people  perform  the  rough 
labour  of  the  country,  and  that  their  presence — except 
on  the  eastern  frontier — does  not  constitute  a  danger; 
but  in  what  proportion  they  should  be  classified  with 
the  whites  it  would  be  hard  to  say.  They  certainly 
stand  in  a  very  different  position  from  the  blacks  of 
Natal,  in  that  their  relative  number  to  the  Europeans 
is  only  two  to  one,  and  nearly  half  of  them  imitate 
the  European  mode  of  living. 

Never  before  was  this  country  a  land  of  good  hope 
as  much  as  at  present.  No  one  can  tell  what  its 
mineral  exports  may  be  ten  years  hence,  but  they  are 
advancing  now  at  a  very  rapid  rate.  The  mines 
furnish  excellent  markets  for  agricultural  produce  of 
every  kind,  and  the  farmer  and  grazier  do  not  need  to 
look  for  customers  abroad.  A  vast  open  territory  in 
the  interior  is  inviting  inhabitants,  and  the  Company 
that  owns  it  is  offering  land  on  most  liberal  terms. 
There  is  an  opportunity  for  introducing  civilisation 
far  into  the  heart  of  Africa  in  the  only  way  in  which 
it  can  be  successfully  done,  that  is  by  means  of  Euro- 
pean settlements  sufficiently  strong  to  rule  without 


NEED  OF  EUROPEAN  IMMIGRANTS.  387 

danger  of  revolt,  and  to  be  able  at  the  same  time  to 
act  with  justice  and  kindness  towards  the  native  race. 

The  continuation  of  the  Story  of  South  Africa,  when 
written  at  no  very  distant  period,  will  be  an  account 
of  either  brilliant  successes  or  disastrous  failures, 
there  will  be  little  of  mediocrity  in  it.  The  prospect 
certainly  seems  bright  at  present,  but  a  stream  of 
European  immigrants  of  the  right  stamp  is  needed  to 
make  it  continue  so.  In  the  movement  northward 
the  sons  and  the  daughters  of  the  Cape  Colony  are 
taking  an  active  part,  and  there  are  no  people  on 
earth  more  fitted  than  they  to  be  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  a  new  land.  The  nationalities  from  which  they 
spring  are  not  those  that  recede,  and  the  fusion  that 
is  taking  place — notwithstanding  there  is  still  a  small 
section  of  both  Dutch  and  English  who  regard  each 
other  with  hostility — is  not  diminishing  the  vigour 
derived  from  the  parent  stocks.  But  they  are  too  few 
in  number  to  occupy  and  hold  the  great  interior 
plateau.  As  they  go  forward,  men  and  women  from 
Europe — of  the  class  that  wins  success  by  industry, 
perseverance,  and  prudence — must  come  in  and  fill 
the  places  they  leave,  if  South  Africa  is  to  have  a 
really  brilliant  future. 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE  OF  EVENTS. 

A.D. 

i486.  Discovery  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  by  Dias. 
1497.  Doubling  of  the  African  continent  by  Vasco  da  Gama. 
1503.  Discovery  of  Table  Bay  by  Antonio  de  Saldanha. 
1 5 10.  Defeat  of  Portuguese  by  Hottentots  in  Table  Valley. 
1 591.  First  visit  of  English  ships  to  Table  Bay. 
1595.  First  voyage  of  the  Dutch  to  India. 
1602.  Formation  of  the  Dutch  East  India  Company. 
1652.  Commencement  of  the  European  settlement  in  Sou 
Africa. 

1655.  Introduction  of  the  vine. 

1657.  Discovery  of  the  Berg  river. 

1658.  Introduction  of  slaves. 

1659.  First  Hottentot  war. 

1660.  Discovery  of  the  Elephant  river. 

1672.  Purchase  of  territory  from  Hottentot  chiefs. 

1673.  Commencement  of  second  Hottentot  war. 
1679.  Foundation  of  Stellenbosch. 

1685.  Discovery  of  the  copper  mines  of  Namaqualand. 

1688.  Arrival  of  the  first  Huguenot  settlers. 

1700.  First  occupation  of  land  on  the  second  plateau. 

1 7 13.  First  outbreak  of  small-pox. 

1722.  Great  loss  of  life  by  gale  in  Table  Bay. 

1737.  Wreck  of  another  fleet  in  Table  Bay. 

1742.  First  use  of  Simon's  Bay  in  winter  months. 

1746.  Foundation  of  Swellendam. 

1752.  Exploration  of  the  country  eastward  to  the  Kei. 

1755.  Second  outbreak  of  small  pox. 

1 76 1.  Exploration  of  southern  part  of  Great  Namaqualand. 
1767.  Third  outbreak  of  small-pox. 

38S 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE  OF  EVENTS.  389 


A.D. 

1779.  Commencement  of  first  Kaffir  war. 

1 78 1.  Arrival  of  French  troops  to  defend  the  Cape  Colony 

against  the  English. 
1786.  Foundation  of  GraafT-Reinet. 
1789.  Commencement  of  second  Kaffir  war. 
1792.  Commencement  of  the  Moravian  mission. 
1795.  Surrender  of  the  Cape  Colony  to  the  English. 
1799.  Commencement  of  the  London  Society's  mission. 

 Commencement  of  third  Kaffir  war. 

1 801.  Exploration  of  the  southern  part  of  Bechuanaland. 
1803.  Restoration  of  the  Cape  Colony  to  the  Dutch. 
1806.  Second  surrender  of  the  Cape  Colony  to  the  English. 
TB09  Subjection  of  all  Hottentot  inhabitants  to  colonial  Taws. 
18 1 2.  Fourth  Kaffir  war. 
181 5.  Slachter's  Nek  insurrection. 
1 8 18.  Commencement  of  fifth  Kaffir  war. 
1820.  Arrival  of  large  body  of  British  settlers. 
1822.  Commencement  of  Zulu  wars  of  extermination. 
1824.  Erection  of  first  lighthouse  on  South  African  coast. 
1830.  Settlement  of  the  Matabele  in  the  valley  of  the  Marikwa. 

1834.  Emancipation  of  the  slaves  in  the  Cape  Colony. 

1835.  Sixth  Kaffir  war. 

1836.  Beginning  of  great  emigration  from  the  Cape  Colony. 

1837.  Flight  of  the  Matabele  to  the  country  north  of  the 

Limpopo. 

1838.  Dreadful  massacres  of  Europeans  by  Zulus. 

1840.  Subjection  of  the  Zulu  tribe  to  the  emigrant  farmers. 

1842.  Occupation  of  Natal  by  a  British  military  force. 

1843.  Creation   by  the   British  government  of  Griqua  and 

Basuto  treaty  states. 

1844.  Creation  of  Pondo  treaty  state. 

1846.  Commencement  of  seventh  Kaffir  war. 

1847.  Creation  of  the  province  of  British  Kaffraria. 

1848.  Proclamation  of  British  sovereignty  over  the  territory 

between  the  Orange  and  Vaal  rivers. 

1850.  Commencement  of  eighth  Kaffir  war. 

1 85 1.  Commencement  of  first  Basuto  war. 

1852.  Acknowledgment  by  Great  Britain  of  the  independence 

of  the  South  African  Republic. 


390 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE  OF  EVENTS. 


A.D. 

1854.  Abandonment  by  Great  Britain  of  the  Orange  River 

Sovereignty. 

  Establishment  of  the  Orange  Free  State. 

  Introduction  of  a  representative  legislature  in  the  Cape 

Colony. 

1858.  Second  Basuto  war  (first  with  the  Orange  Free  State). 

1865.  Commencement  of  third  Basuto  war. 

  Annexation  of  British  KafTraria  to  the  Cape  Colony. 

1867.  Commencement  of  fourth  Basuto  war. 

1868.  Annexation  of  Basutoland  to  the  British  Empire. 

1869.  Discovery  of  diamonds  in  South  Africa. 

1 87 1.  Creation  of  the  province  of  Griqualand  West. 

1872.  Introduction  of  responsible  government  in  the  Cape 

Colony. 

^  1877.  Annexation  of  the  South  African  Republic  to  the  British 
Empire. 

  Commencement  of  ninth  Kaffir  war. 

1879.  British  conquest  of  Zululand. 

1880.  Annexation  of  Griqualand  West  to  the  Cape  Colony. 
  Commencement  of  fifth  Basuto  war. 

V  1 88 1.  Recovery  of  independence  by  the  South  African  Republic. 

1884.  Commencement  of  the   German   Protectorate  of  the 

western  coast  belt  north  of  the  Orange  river. 

1885.  Creation  of  the  province  of  British  Bechuanaland. 

1886.  Opening  of  extensive  gold-fields  in  the  South  African 

Republic. 

1887.  Annexation  of  Zululand  to  the  British  Empire. 

1889.  Grant  of  a  charter  to  the  British  South  Africa  Company. 
1893.  Introduction  of  responsible  government  in  Natal. 


INDEX. 


Almeida,  Francisco  d',  is  killed  in 

Table  Valley,  15 
Angra  Pequena,  discovery  of,  8 
Anti-convict  agitation,  account  of, 

250 

Asiatics,  introduction  into  Cape 
Colony,  35 

B 

Bantu,  description  of,  5  ;  suffer 
severely  from  small-pox,  81  ; 
see  Bapedi,  Baramapulana, 
Basuto,  Cetywayo,  Destruction, 
Dingan,  Dinizulu,  Fingos, 
Gaika,  Hintsa,  Hlubi,  Kaffir, 
Kreli,  Langalibalele,  Loben- 
gule,  Makana,  Mantati,  Mata- 
bele,  Moselekatse,  Moshesh, 
Ndlambe,  Panda,  Pondo,  San- 
dile,  Setyeli,  Swaziland,  Tembu, 
Tshaka,  and  Zulu 
Bapedi  tribe,  war  with,  340 
Baramapulana  tribe,  war  with, 
336 

Barberton,  foundation  of,  349 
Basutoland,  description  of,  263  ; 
is  annexed  to  the  British  empire, 
321  ;  is  attached  to  the  Cape 
Colony,  330  ;  is  retransferred  to 
the  imperial  government,  331  ; 
present  condition  of,  331 
Basuto  treaty  state,  creation  of, 
228  ;  destruction  of,  247 


Basuto  tribe,  origin  of,  171 
Basuto  wars,  account  of,  259,  317, 

320,  321,  331 
Batavian  Republic,  constitution  of 

the  Cape  Colony  under,  129 
Berea,  battle  of,  265 
Bethelsdorp  mission  station,  foun- 
dation of,  130 
Birkenhead,  wreck  of  the,  254 
Black  circuit,  account  of,  146 
Bloemfontein,  foundation  of,  235 
Bloemhof  arbitration,  particulars 

concerning,  325 
Blueberg,  battle  of,  134 
Boomplaats,  battle  of,  249 
Boshof,    J.   N.,    presidency  of, 
315 

Brand,  J.  H.,  presidency  of,  319 
British  Bechuanaland,  history  of, 

British  Kaffraria,  creation  of  the 
province,  246  ;  annexation  to 
the  Cape  Colony,  289 

British  Protectorate,  reference  to, 
368 

British  settlers  of  1820,  account 
of,  156 

Bronkhorst  Spruit,  action  at,  346 
Burgers,   T.  F.,   presidency  of, 
339 

Burgher  senate,  Cape  Colony, 
creation  of,  117;  abolition  of, 
176 

Bushmen,  description  of,  1  ; 
references  to,  44,  63,  73,  88 


391 


392 


INDEX. 


C 

Caledon,  Lord,  administration  of, 
139 

Cape  Colony,  foundation  of,  23  ; 
first  surrender  to  the  English, 
107;  restoration  to  the  Dutch,  J 
128  ;  second  surrender  to  the 
English,  135  ;  cession  to  Great 
Britain,  146  ;  present  condition 
of  coloured  inhabitants,  380 ; 
public  schools,  380-3  ;  courts  of 
justice,  383  ;  various  institu-  j 
tions,  383  ;  telegraphic  and 
steamship  connection  with 
Europe,  3S5  ;  public  debt,  3S6 

Cape  of  Good  Hope,  discovery 
of,  10 

Capetown, description of,at  various 

times,  55,  S3 
Castle  of  Good  Hope,  erection  of, 

40 

Cathcart,  Sir  George,  administra- 
tion of,  255 
Cattle  farmers,  origin  of,  49 
Census  of  the  Cape  Colony,  in 
1700,  52  ;  in  1791,  97  ;  in  1805, 
132;  in  1819,  155;  in  1S90, 
380 

Census  of  the  Orange  Free 
State  in  1890,  328  ;  of  Basuto- 
land  in  1890,  331  ;  of  the  South 
African  Republic  in  1890,  352  ; 
of  KafTraria  in  1890,  362 ;  of 
British  Bechuanaland  in  1S90, 
368  ;  of  Swaziland  in  1890, 
376 

Cetywayo,  Zulu  chief,  references 

to,  302,  309 
Churches,  particulars  concerning, 

39,  53.  77,  87,  101,  159-  237 
Coal,  in  Natal,  300;  in  the  Orange 

Free  State,  328  ;  in  the  South 

African  Republic,  350 
Cole,  Sir  Lowry,  administration 

of,  179 

Colonists,  the  first,  particulars  con-  : 

cerning,  30 
Complaints  of  the  burghers  against 

the  government  of  the  Dutch 

East  India  Company,  92 


Constitution  of  the  Cape  Colony, 
description  of,  271 

Copper,  export  of,  379 

Council  of  advice,  Cape  Colony, 
establishment  of,  160 

Courts  of  law,  Cape  Colony,  par- 
ticulars concerning,  176 

Cradock,  Sir  John,  administration 
of,  142 

Craig,  General,  administration  of, 
119 

Customs  union,  references  to,  328, 
369 

D 

Delagoa  Bay,  references  to,  74, 
374 

Depopulation  of  the  territory 
between  the  Orange  and  Lim- 
popo rivers,  account  of,  165 

Destruction  of  all  their  property 
by  the  Kosas,  account  of,  2S0 
et  seq. 

Diamond  mines,  annexation  to  the 

British  empire,  326 
Diamonds,    discovery   of,    322  ; 

export  of,  379 
Dias,  Bartholomew,  voyage  of,  8 
Dingan,    Zulu   chief,  references 

to,   167,  206,  207,  208,  214, 

215 

Dinizulu,  Zulu  chief,  references  to, 
310 

Drakenstein,  settlement  of,  51 
Durban,  description  of,  299 
D' Urban,  Sir  Benjamin,  adminis- 
tration of,  179 
Dutch  East  India  Company,  forma- 
tion of,  18  ;  forms  a  refreshment 
station   in  Table  Valley,  23 ; 
decline  of,  90  ;  insolvency  of, 
1 10 

Dutch  language,  is  prohibited  in 
public  offices,  158;  is  restored 
to  official  equality  with  English, 
275 

Dutch  reformed  church,  particulars 

concerning,  101 
Dutch  ships,  first  voyage  to  India 

of,  17 


INDEX. 


393 


E 

Eighth  Kaffir  war,  account  of, 
253 

English,  the,  attempt  to  seize  the 
Cape  Colony  in  1781,  but  fail, 
90;  conquer  it  in  1795,  107; 
restore  it  to  the  Dutch  in  1803, 
128;  conquer  it  again  in  1806, 
135 

English  ships,  first  visit  to  South 
Africa  of,  17 

Etshowe,  relief  of,  308 

Executive  council,  Cape  Colony, 
creation  of,  180 

Expansion  of  the  Cape  Colony, 
description  of,  61 

Exploration  of  South  Africa,  par- 
ticulars concerning,  28 ;  pro- 
gress of,  83 

Exports  of  South  Africa,  account 
of,  378-9 

F 

Fifth  Basuto  war,  account  of,  331 
Fifth  Kaffir  war,  account  of,  152 
Fingos,  origin  of,  164  ;  references 

to,  191,  255 
First  Basuto  war,  account  of,  259 
First  Hottentot  war,  account  of, 

37 

First  Kaffir  war,  account  of,  88 
Form  of  government  of  the  Cape 

Colony,  before  ^795,  53 ;  at 

present,  271 
Fourth  Basuto  war,  account  of, 

321 

Fourth  Kaffir  war,  account  of, 
143 

French,  the,  take  possession  of 
Saldanha  Bay,  43  ;  defend  the 
Cape  Colony  against  the  English 
in  1781-3,  90 

G 

Gaika,  Kosa  chief,  references  to, 

99,  123,  131,  151,  187 
Gama,  Vasco  da,  voyage  of,  10 
Game,  abundance  of,  in  early  days, 

46 


German  immigrants,  account  of, 
288 

German  Protectorate,  account  of, 
37? 

Ginginhlovu,  battle  of,  308 

Glenelg,  Earl,  treatment  of  South 
Africa  by,  192 

Gold,  discovery  of,  349 ;  export 
of,  349.  379 

Government  by  the  Dutch  East 
India  Company,  particulars  con- 
cerning, 74 

Graaff,  van  de,  C.  J.,  administra- 
tion of,  96 

Graaff- Reinet,  foundation  of,  87  ; 
rebellion  of  the  people,  104, 
121 

Grahamstown,  foundation  of,  145; 

attack  by  Kosas,  153 
Great  emigration  from  the  Cape 

Colony,  causes  of,   193,   194 ; 

account  of,  195  et  scq. 
Grey,  Sir  George,  administration 

of,  279 

Griqualand,  West,  annexation  to 
the  Cape  Colony,  326 

Griqua  treaty  state  under  Adam 
Kok,  creation  of,  230  ;  destruc- 
tion of,  247 

Griquas  and  emigrant  farmers  : 
war  between,  233 

Guano  Islands,  reference  to,  363 


H 

Haarlem,  the,  wreck  of,  in  Table 
Bay,  21 

Hintsa,  Kosa  chief,  reference  to, 

152,  189 
Hlobane,  disaster  at,  307 
Hlubi  tribe,  account  of,  292 
Hoffman,  J.,  presidency  of,  315 
Hottentots,    description    of,    2 ; 
first    intercourse   with  Euro- 
peans,    11  ;    particulars  con- 
cerning, 25,  26,  27,   36,  45, 
ill  ;  purchase  of  territory  from, 
42;  references  to,  44,  72,  81, 
87,  103,   121,  123,   130,  140, 
141,  177,  178,  179,  254,  364 


394 


INDEX. 


Hottentot  settlement  at  the  Kat 

river  ;  account  of,  179 
Hottentot  wars,  account  of,  37, 

45 

Huguenots,  arrival  of,  51 
I 

Immigration  from  Great  Britain, 

account  of,  153,  237 
Ingogo,  action  at,  347 
Inyesane,  battle  of,  307 
Isandhvana,  destruction  of  English 

army  at,  305 

J 

Janssens,  J.  W.,  administration  of, 
129 

Johannesburg,  foundation  of,  349 
K 

Kaffir  wars,  account  of,  88,  100, 
123,  142,  152,  188,  240,  253, 

361 

Kaffraria,    description   of,    353  ; 

history  of,  355 ;  annexation  of 

the  greater  part  to  the  Cape 

Colony,  357 
Kambula,  defence  of,  307 
Keate   award,  account  of,  326, 

338 

Kentani,  battle  of,  361 
King-Williamstown,  foundation  of, 

IQI 

Kok,    Adam,    Griqua  captain, 

references  to,  246,  318 
Kreli,  Kosa  chief,  references  to, 

189,  257,  281,  355>36i 
Kruger,  S.  J.  Paul,  references  to, 

336,  343.  345 

L 

Langalibalele,  rebellion  of,  293 
Lang's  Nek,  action  at,  347 
Lanyon,  Sir  Owen,  administration 

of,  343 
Lead,  export  of,  379 
Legislative  council,  Cape  Colony, 

creation  of,  180 


Livingstone,  Rev.  Dr.,  reference 
to,  335 

Loan  bank,  creation  of,  98 

Lobengule,  Matabele  chief,  re- 
ference to,  370 

London  missionary  society,  com- 
mences work  in  South  Africa, 
126  ;  assumes  a  hostile  attitude 
towards  the  colonists,  146  ;  is 
forsworn  by  the  emigrant  far- 
mers, 201 

Lovedale  missionary  institution, 
foundation  of,  279 

Lucas,  Admiral,  surrenders  a  fleet 
of  nine  ships  of  war  to  the  Eng- 
lish, 119 

Lutheran  church   in  Capetown, 

establishment  of,  101 
Lydenburg,  foundation  of,  227 

M 

Macartney,  Lord,  administration 
of,  120 

Maitland,  Sir  Peregrine,  adminis- 
tration of,  232 

Majuba  Hill,  defeat  of  British 
force  at,  348 

Makana,  Kosa  seer,  account  of, 

Malmesbury,  foundation  of,  79 
Mantati  horde,  account  of,  165 
Matabele  tribe,  origin  of,   169 ; 

references   to,   199,  200,  201, 

202,  219,  370 
Mauritius,  references  to,  39,  71 
Missionary  effort,  results  of,  4, 

186,  291,  380 
Mission    societies,    localities  of 

labour,  173 
Mist,  J.  A.  de,  references  to,  129, 

131 

Moffat,  Rev.  Robert,  reference  to, 
170 

Mohair,  export  of,  379 

Moravian  mission,  foundation  in 
South  Africa  of,  101 

Moselekatse,  Matabele  chief,  re- 
ferences to,  167,  370 

Moshesh,  Basuto  chief,  references 


INDEX. 


395 


to,  171,228,  230,  236,  248,  249, 

258,  315, 316, 320, 330 

Mossamedes,  emigration  of  farmers 
to,  340 

N 

Natal,  discovery  of,  12  ;  depopu- 
lation of,  164 ;  description  of, 
204 ;  occupation  by  the  emi- 
grant farmers,  207  ;  govern- 
ment of  the  emigrant  farmers, 
220  ;  possession  by  British 
troops,  222;  population  of,  291  ; 
Indian  immigrants,  297  ;  con- 
stitution of,  301  ;  public  debt, 
301 

Ndlambe,  Kosa  chief,  references 
to,  99,  123,  130,  143,  150,  151, 
152,  187 

Nederburgh  and   Frykenins,  re- 
ference to,  97,  103,  no 
Ninth  Kaffir  war,  account  of,  361 

O 

Ohrigstad,  foundation  of,  227 
Orange  Free  State,  creation  of, 
269;  constitution  of,  313; 
courts  of  justice,  314;  present 
condition,  327 
Orange  River  Sovereignty,  cre- 
ation of,  248  ;  abandonment  of, 
269 

Ostrich  feathers,  export  of,  379 
P 

Paarl,  description  of,  85 

Panda,  Zulu  chief,  references  to, 
215,  217,  218,  225,  302 

Paper  money,  issue  of,  92  ;  re- 
demption of,  159 

Physical  conformation  of  South 
Africa,  13 

Pietermaritzburg,  foundation  of, 
215 

Plettenberg,   Joachim    van,  ad- 
ministration of,  86 
Pondoland,  reference  to,  363 
Pondo  treaty  state,  creation  of, 
230 


Port  St.  John's,  reference  to,  363. 
Portuguese  discoveries  in  South 

Africa,  account  of,  8  et  seq. 
Portuguese   possessions,  account 

of,  373 

Potchefstroom,  foundation  of,  213 

Potgieter,  Hendrick,  references 
to,  198-201,  210 

Pottinger,  Sir  Henry,  administra- 
tion of,  242 

Pretorius,  Andries,  references  to,  « 
213,  221,  249,  260 

Pretorius,  M.  W.,  presidency  of, 
3l8,  336 

Prince  Imperial  of  France,  death 
of,  308 

Productions  of  the  Cape  Colony, 
377 

Progress  of  South  African  explora- 
tion in  1700,  account  of,  57 

Province  of  Queen  Adelaide, 
creation  of,  191  ;  abandonment 
of,  193 

Public  debt,  of  the  South  African 
Republic,  351  ;  of  Natal,  301  ; 
of  the  Cape  Colony,  386 

Q 

Queenstown,  foundation  of,  255 
R 

Railways,  in  Natal,  300  ;  in  the 
Orange  Free  State,  328  ;  in  the 
South  African  Republic,  351  ; 
in  British  Bechuanaland,  368  ; 
in  the  Portuguese  possessions, 
37 x,  375  ;  in  the  Cape  Colony, 
328 

Reitz,  F.  W.,  presidency  of,  328 
Retief,  Pieter,  references  to,  201, 

204,  205 
Rhodesia,  account  of,  369 
Riebeek,  Jan  van,  references  to, 

22,  24,  25,  26,  28,  39 
Rorke's  Drift,  gallant  defence  of, 

306 

S 

Sandile,  Kosa  chief,  references  to, 
188,  239,  253,  281,  361 


INDEX. 


Sand  River  Convention,  account 
of,  261 

Schoemansdal,  abandonment  of, 
337 

Schools,  particulars  concerning, 
23,  79,  160,  237,  350,  381-3 

Scurvy,  effects  of,  23 

Second  Basuto  war,  account  of, 
317 

Second  Hottentot  war,  account  of, 
45 

Second  Kaffir  was,  account  of, 
100 

Setyeli,  Bakwena  chief,  reference 
to,  335 

Seventh  Kaffir  war,  account  of, 
240 

Sheikh  Joseph,  particulars  con- 
cerning, 36 

Shepstone,  Sir  T.,  administration 
of,  342 

Shipwrecks  in  Table  Bay,  76 
Silver,  export  of,  379 
Simonstown,  foundation  of,  77  ; 

description  of,  85 
Sixth  Kaffir  war,  account  of,  188 
Slachter's  Nek  rebellion,  account 

of,  149 

Slaves,     introduction     of,     33 ; 

emancipation  of,  180,  183 
Small-pox,  ravages  of,  71,  80 
Smith,  Sir  Harry,  administration 

of,  244 

Somerset,  Lord  Charles,  adminis- 
tration of,  148 

South  African  Republic,  indepen- 
dence acknowledged  by  Great 
Britain,  262  ;  description  of, 
332  et  scq.  ;  dissensions  of 
people,  333  ;  dealings  with 
Bantu,  334  ;  is  annexed  to  the 
British  empire,  342  ;  recovers 
its  independence,  348  ;  present 
condition  of,  350  ;  constitution 
of,  351 

Stel,  van  der,  Simon,  administra- 
tion of,  50 

Stel,  van  der,  W.  A.,  oppressive 
administraton  of,  65,  67  ;  is 
punished  by  the  directors,  70 


Stellaland,  reference  to,  367 
Stellenbosch,  foundation  of,  50  ; 

description  of,  85 
Stockenstrom,  Andries,  references 

to,  192,  193 
Swaziland,  account  of,  10,  376 
Swellendam,  foundation  of,  79 ; 

description  of,  85  ;  rebellion  of 

the  inhabitants  of,  104 

T 

Table  Bay,  discovery  of,  13  ;  im- 
provement of,  77,  385 
Taxation  of  the  colonists  in  the 

olden  times,  system  of,  55 
Tembu  tribe,  account  of,  356 
Third  Basuto  war,  account  of,  320 
Third  Kaffir  war,  account  of,  123 
Traffic  in    the   seventeenth  and 
eighteenth  centuries,  account  of, 
55  et  seq. 
Treaties,  with  Andries  Waterboer, 
187  ;  with  Moshesh,  228  ;  with 
Adam   Kok,    230,    235  ;  with 
Faku,  230 
Tshaka,  Zulu  chief,  account  of,  162 
Tulbagh,  foundation  of,  79 
Tulbagh  basin,  settlement  of,  61 
Tulbagh  Ryk,  administration  of, 
80 

U 

Uitenhage,  foundation  of,  132 
Ulundi,  battle  of,  309 

V 

Viervoet,  battle  of,  259 
Volksraad,  of  the  Orange  Free 

State,  314  ;  of  the  South  African 

Republic,  352 

W 

Walfish  Bay,  reference  to,  364 
War  between  the  emigrant  farmers 

and  the  Zulus,  account  of,  208, 

209 

VVinburg,  foundation  of,  201 
Wodehouse,  Sir  Philip,  adminis- 
tration of,  320 


INDEX. 


397 


Wolseley,  Sir  Garnet,  administra- 
tion of,  308,  344 
Wool,  export  of,  379 


Yonge,  Sir  George,  administration 
of.  126 


Zululand,  history  of,  302  ;  is  an- 
nexed to  the  British  empire,  312 

Zulu  tribe,  origin  of,  163  ;  refer- 
ences to,  205,  215,  225,  302 

Zulu  wars,  account  of,  208,  209, 
304 


DATE  DUE 


1  i.i.Ulj,.^,* 

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CAVLOHO 

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